Material provided by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. You may visit their website at www.nih.com.

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Work closely with the school to develop a suitable lesson plan for the child and to educate the teacher and the child's classmates about JIA. (See this article for information about Kids on the Block, Inc., a program that uses puppets to illustrate how juvenile idiopathic arthritis can affect school, sports, friends, and family.)

Some children with JIA may be absent from school for prolonged periods and need to have the teacher send assignments home. Some minor changes such as an extra set of books, or leaving class a few minutes early to get to the next class on time can be a great help. With proper attention, most children progress normally through school.

Note: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) was previously known as Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA).