Psychologists help prevent and manage learning difficulties brought on by cancer treatments.
The bad news is that these children are showing signs of significant learning disabilities. Now Simms and other psychologists are trying to change that. They're helping oncologists reduce treatment's toxicity while still maintaining its effectiveness. And they're working with schools to help children overcome the difficulties that were once the price of their survival. Worrying about treatment-related learning disabilities is a relatively recent luxury, says Simms, who is also a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine.