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Coping and support
By Mayo Clinic staffFamily members can play critical roles in helping a child cope with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. As a parent, you may want to try the following:
- Treat your child, as much as possible, like other children in your family.
- Allow your child to express anger about having juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Explain that the disease isn't caused by anything he or she did.
- Encourage your child to participate in physical activities, keeping in mind the recommendations of your child's doctor and physical therapist.
Working with your child's school
Work with your child's teachers and school administrators to make any necessary modifications in his or her schedule or responsibilities. These modifications may include giving your child extra time to move from class to class, providing him or her with an extra set of textbooks so that these books won't need to be carried home, and making arrangements for assignments to be sent home when your child misses school because of his or her condition.
Support for whole family
Also think about how you can cope with the challenges of raising a child who has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Connecting with other parents in similar circumstances and tapping into community resources may help. The Arthritis Foundation's JA Alliance is an online community devoted to serving the special needs of children with arthritis and their families. The organization sponsors support groups, programs, camps and conferences.
- Questions and answers about juvenile arthritis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Juv_Arthritis/default.asp. Accessed Aug. 27, 2009.
- Miller ML, et al. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. In: Kliegman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/157224368-3/881801128/1608/462.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50156-0_3615. Accessed Aug. 31, 2009.
- Arthritis in children. American College of Rheumatology. http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/diseases_and_conditions/juvenilearthritis.asp. Accessed Sept. 1, 2009.
- Grom AA, et al. Immunopathogenesis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 31, 2009.
- Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: How is it diagnosed? Arthritis Foundation. http://www.arthritis.org/disease-center.php?disease_id=38&df=diagnosed. Accessed Aug. 31, 2009.
- Lehman TJ. Management of polyarticular onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 1, 2009.
- Juvenile arthritis. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00075. Accessed Sept. 1, 2009.
- Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: Treatment options. Arthritis Foundation. http://www.arthritis.org/disease-center.php?disease_id=38&df=treatments. Accessed Sept. 1, 2009.
- JA Alliance. Arthritis Foundation. http://www.arthritis.org/ja-alliance-main.php. Accessed Sept. 1, 2009.
