Teaching children with Niemann-Pick disease

Abstract

Niemann-Pick Disease (NPD) is a group of rare inherited disorders that are both systemic and degenerative. Knowledge of the disease, its characteristics, and its progression are essential for the teacher and related service personnel to provide an appropriate educational experience for the student. For the teacher who has a student with NPC1 in his/her classroom, the focus is two-fold: first to provide a supportive academic environment for the student with NPC1 and her/his classroom peers; and, second, to provide emotional support for the student and the family. Included in this manuscript are suggested accommodations for the teacher and other therapists and related service personnel to use in providing an appropriate education for a student with NPC1.