As with any other chronic severe illness, social service support is crucial to the well-being of patients with sickle cell disease. A person who is having trouble finding a place to live, for instance, is unlikely to make many health maintenance visits. Frequent sickle cell crises often interrupt the education of people with the disorder. The problem is not simply days of school missed. Children with sickle cell disease are often not feeling well even when they are in class.
Illness disrupts their concentration and interferes with learning.
If children fall behind their peers, educational difficulties mount. The social pressure of being in a class with substantially younger children pushes many youngsters further off the path to education. One approach to the problem of disruptions in schooling has been to have tutors work with children at home and even in the hospital at times. Such an approach requires close cooperation between medical and social service providers. Other innovative strategies are needed to address the crucial issue of education for patients with sickle cell disease.