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Rare, Chronic and Invisible in the Classroom

  • There are over 7 million students in US schools with disabilities

  • 96% are invisible

  • 33% are learning disabilities

  • 40% of students have a chronic conditions

  • Students with chronic conditions are 3.8% more likely to repeat a grade

  • There are over 7000 known rare diseases

  • 95% do not have treatment

What is a Rare Disease?

A disease that affects fewer than 200,000 people in the US at any given time

  • affects 25-30 million Americans

  • many rare diseases can be traced to one specific gene mutation

  • present with a wide array of symptoms and vary in disease and patient

Examples of Rare Disases

  • Ehlers-Danlos

  • Cystic fibrosis

  • Spina bifida

  • heamophelia

  • Alice in Wonderland Syndrome

  • Osteogenesis Imperfecta

  • Kleinfelter Syndrome

  • Lupus

  • Scleroderma

  • Guillaine Barre Syndrome

  • Huntington Disease

  • Felty Sydrome

What is a Chronic Condition?

Long-term health condition lasting one year or longer limiting activities, affecting daily life or requiring medical attention

Examples of Chronic Conditions

  • Ehlers-Danlos

  • Arthritis

  • Diabetes

  • Kidney Disease

  • ADHD

  • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

  • Anxiety

  • Cancer

  • Hypertention

  • Asthma

  • Chronic Fatigue

  • Epilepsy

What is an Invisible Disability?

Umbrella term used to describe mental or physical medical conditions that are not immediately apparent. They are primarily neurological and the symptoms can include extreme fatigue, chronic pain or cognitive impairment.

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Examples of Invisible Disabilities

  • Ehlers-Danlos

  • POTS

  • Dyspraxia

  • Fybromyalgia

  • PTSD

  • ADHD

  • Autism Spectrum

  • Depression

  • Dyslexia

  • Mental Illness

  • Chronic Fatigue

  • Diabetes

Summary

There are a number of different rare diseases, chronic conditions and invisible illnesses and they are often interconnected.  Ehlers-Danlos, for example, is a rare genetic disease and is chronic as well as invisible.

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These medical conditions may affect a small number of people, but they can have a major impact on a person's life. They can cause fatigue, pain, anxiety and depression. They can make it hard to work, socialize, take care of day-to-day responsibilities or get through a school day. 

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The DayBeacon created by WearIt. was created with the intention to help people with any of these conditions better navigate their days, communicate more effectively and learn to advocate for their unique conditions. 

The DayBeacon assistive technology is still under development. 

We thank you for your patience, and if you would like more information on how it works, how it could help your child or how to get it in your classroom, please contact us. 

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