Assessing the Effectiveness of Individual Education Plans for Childhood Cancer Survivors

Neurodevelopmental outcomes in children treated for cancer involving the central nervous system (CNS) provide educators with new challenges with regards to classification, monitoring, and intervention in the regular or special education classroom setting. Recommendations resulting from serial neurodevelopmental evaluations for these children often do not overlap with traditional special education recommendations commonly included in Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for children with congenital or genetic learning problems. The investigators currently do not know whether or not school-based treatment for learning problems, based on the child's IEP, incorporates recommendations made based on a neurodevelopmental evaluation appropriately. In addition, it is not clear whether or not the recommendations that are included in a child's IEP have any beneficial outcome on the child's learning and academic achievement over time. The purpose of this project is to examine the relationship between neurodevelopmental outcomes, recommendations for intervention, special education services and accommodations included in a child's school IEP, and outcome for the child following implementation of the IEP. The study has two major specific aims: 1. To quantify the clinical and educational contributions of recommendations resulting from neurodevelopmental evaluations and the subsequent development of IEPs. Hypothesis 1.1: Higher concordance between recommendations made based on neurodevelopmental evaluations and criteria written into children's IEPs will be associated with more positive academic outcomes (i.e. maintenance or improvement in academic skills). Hypothesis 1.2: Children who have higher concordance between criteria written into their IEPs and academic services actually received will show more positive academic outcomes than children whose IEP criteria and academic services are less concordant. 2. To evaluate an intervention that will improve academic outcomes for children treated for cancer. Hypothesis 2.1: Children whose IEPs are monitored more frequently will show more positive academic outcomes than their peers whose IEPs are monitored less frequently.

Sex

All

Minimum age

6 Years

Maximum age

12 Years

Inclusion Criteria:

* Children, ages 6-12 years, who are within 2-5 years of diagnosis for either central nervous system tumor or acute lymphocytic leukemia, or lymphoma at time of enrollment

Exclusion Criteria:

* Children who have been diagnosed with any type of cancer other than a central nervous system tumor, lymphoma, or leukemia.
* Children who are not between the ages of 6-12 years and who were not diagnosed within the past 2-5 years with central nervous system tumor, lymphoma, or leukemia.
* Children who are monolingual in a language other than English or Spanish
* Parent or caregiver of the child is not fluent in English or Spanish
* Child has been diagnosed with a significant mental health disorder that is not responsive to behavioral or medical management. This includes severe depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder. Children whose mental health problem is effectively treated are eligible for participation.