Educational performance and vocational participation after spinal cord injury in childhood.

OBJECTIVE

To examine educational achievement and vocational success of children with SCI.

DESIGN

Surveys administered to students and teachers, and content analysis of school records.

SETTING

Regional pediatric rehabilitation program.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants were selected from 144 children with SCI treated from 1979 through 1992; 98 met inclusion criteria of onset of SCI before the age of 18 years, older than 3 years, residual paresis, and no cognitive impairment; 29% were lost to follow-up, and 53 of the 70 contacted were enrolled.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: School completion rates, absenteeism, grades, ratings of participation; education and living situations after high school; history of paid employment.

RESULTS

The 53 responders were: 33 boys, 20 girls; 25 with paraplegia (47%), 28 with tetraplegia (53%); mean length of disability = 9.4 years; 12 primary students (23%), 19 secondary students (36%), and 22 postsecondary participants (41%). Students and teachers rated student participation and performance as average or above compared to peers; 84% of secondary students planned to attend college after graduation. Only 33% of high school students over age 15 had been employed. Ninety-one percent of postsecondary subjects had graduated from high school. Seven (32%) had graduated from college or a vocational program, 11 (50%) were enrolled in college full- or part-time, and 4 others (18%) were neither in school nor employed. Current employment rates were 71% of college graduates, 36% of those in college, and 0% of those who had never enrolled. Level of SCI was not related to employment.

CONCLUSIONS

Students with SCI demonstrate adequate participation and performance in educational settings, but may benefit from more vocational counseling and opportunities for paid employment.