I’m an Educator: Here’s Why I Talk to My Students About Chronic Illness

Sharing my own experience with chronic illness helps students feel comfortable informing me of their needs. I want to empower them in their education and future careers.

On the first day of school and every class after, my students walk into a darkened room. This is just one way I start the conversation about my experience with chronic illness as an adjunct instructor.

I teach in a space that gets plenty of sunshine, so the lecture room’s garish overhead fluorescent lights stay off — they’re a migraine trigger for me.

I make a joke about being a vampire, which usually gets a few laughs. Then I get serious and explain my condition, how it affects me, and why, at some point during the semester, students will get a notification that I’ve canceled class because of a migraine.

I talk with my students about migraine and chronic illness because I want to raise awareness, make it clear to them that I understand the challenges of chronic conditions, and share how I navigate professional situations.

I hope this will help them learn to navigate the world if they have a chronic illness or develop one and be understanding to others who do.

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Why talking about chronic illness in schools is important

Nearly half (45%) of the population in the United States has a chronic illness. About 1 out of 6 adults has self-reported migraine.

Imagine how many more people have some kind of chronic illness. I would be negligent as an educator if I didn’t assume that at least some of my students have a chronic condition.

At 45 years old, I’ve lived in the world long enough to know that places of work and school are not always set up well for people living with chronic illnesses. Hello, fluorescent lights and perfume scents!

Yet we need to function.

Many of the young adults who walk through my classroom doors are new college students living independently from their parents or guardians for the first time. The start of their higher education experience might also mark the first time they are totally responsible for managing a chronic condition.

If parents have previously managed a condition for their child, an incoming freshman may never have had to talk with a teacher or supervisor about it.

I aim to empower my students to have open conversations and take charge of their health. Research shows that when young adults and adolescents manage their own health, the risk for adverse outcomes decreases. Plus, it helps develop crucial life skills.

Open conversations also help raise awareness, build community, and reduce stigma around chronic illness. This can help make those who live with chronic conditions feel less alone.

It can also help those without chronic conditions become more empathetic.

How I talk with my students about chronic conditions

If you’re in higher education, here’s my step-by-step guide for talking with students about chronic conditions. 

If you’re a parent sending your newly minted adult off to school, this guide can help you prep them for a healthy and productive college career and beyond.

Share your own experience

I have the lived experience of someone with a chronic condition, so I simply share about having migraine and how it may impact me during the semester.

Of course, not every educator has personal experience with migraine or other conditions. Just bringing up the topic can open the floor for conversation and showcase that you have compassion for people with chronic illnesses.

Express that you’re there to help each student succeed. This can help reassure students that their chronic illness will not tank their academic performance. I like to get across to them that we’re in this together.

If you’re a parent, encourage your child to share their experience with their professors.

Give them an opportunity to share

Health can be deeply personal, and privacy is paramount. I certainly don’t require students to tell me about their chronic conditions. However, I do invite them to talk with me about them if they wish. They can do so in a private conversation.

However, I also encourage them to tell me what they need in the form of a letter of accommodation (LOA) request. This helps to formalize the process.

Ask them to think about and request accommodations

Colleges, universities, vocational schools, and more are obligated via federal laws to protect students from discrimination. This includes providing accommodations for students with disabilities and some chronic illnesses.

One or both of these federal civil rights laws may apply:

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

The application process for accommodations varies from school to school, and the process may require documentation from a medical professional.

If LOAs aren’t requested prior to the start of the semester, students may experience delays in processing. I certainly don’t want my students to have to wait weeks for accommodations.

For this reason, I abide by any accommodation requests, whether they’ve come through formal channels or if a student simply tells me their needs.

However, I do encourage students to go through formal channels so that all their professors are required to provide the same accommodations.

Accommodations for chronic illness might include the following:

• a designated seat in the front of class or near an exit
• extra time to complete assignments when flares occur
• excused absences for flares or medical appointments
• screen time reductions (such as access to audio texts)
• ability to record lectures
• access to lecture materials (such as presentation slides)
• access to a distraction-free test-taking space
• allowance to wear items that reduce symptoms or help with treatment (like migraine glasses or earplugs)

Talk about attendance and deadlines

In addition to teaching, I’m also a freelance journalist. Despite my best intentions to complete work well in advance, migraine has most certainly gotten in the way of a deadline or two — or four.

When this happens, I simply reach out to my editors and explain. They’ve always been understanding because they know I’m doing my best.

I encourage my students to attend class and meet deadlines as much as possible, but I extend them the same real-world sense of grace I’ve experienced in my career.

Instead of expecting perfection, I teach them to get good at communicating. This means reaching out in advance if they need an extension or letting me know before class time if they’ll be absent due to not feeling well.

Some supervisors and educators require a doctor’s note for excused absences. I do not. Anyone who has ever had a chronic illness flare knows that traveling to see a doctor to get a note is often not feasible.

Instead of making them jump through unnecessary hoops, I want my students to spend their time taking care of themselves.

Takeaway

On the first day of my latest semester, several students approached me at the podium to share their own experiences with chronic illnesses, including migraine, and how they expected their conditions might affect them this semester.

The next day, I had several LOAs in my inbox. LOAs and other background info help me help my students do their best.

Talking with them about chronic illness, explaining LOAs, and teaching them about good communication help empower my students to succeed in their future careers, even in the face of chronic illness.