Teachers’ role in the inclusion of students with rare diseases

A new study published in “Frontiers in Psychology” investigated the different teaching variables which affect the inclusion of students with rare diseases. In education, as in other fields, those students have specific needs. These needs are often unmet, due to a general lack of education of teachers and the wide variety of rare diseases. Data collected from the questionnaire filled in by teachers in La Mancha (Castille-Spain), shows that while they were in favor of including students with rare diseases, as a whole, they lacked the requisite knowledge about their specific needs. These results indicate that specific training and resources to offer bespoke educational responses to students with rare diseases are needed. If teachers are more aware of the specific challenges facing these students, their needs will be better addressed and their wellbeing will be improved. (orphanews 2023.01.31)