Multiple Sclerosis and the Classroom

A QUICK REVIEW OF THE DISEASE AND WHAT EVERYONE IN THE CLASSROOM CAN DO TO HELP. (BY LAURIE BORMAN)

What is Multiple Sclerosis?

An autoimmune disease that impacts the central nervous system. Sadly, the immune system attacks the bodys own tissue. The main target of attack is myelin, a protective coating around nerve cells in the central nervous system. Myelin is the great protector that facilitates nerve conduction. Sometimes the nerve cells are damaged. Scarring develops, and it is the scars that slow or interrupt the transmission of the nerve impulses. The word sclerosis means abnormal hardening of body tissue the scars.

Do you want to see what the disease looks like in the body? Watch this video! http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=Naecv3h868c

Who Gets MS and Why?

Who? Although Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, at least two to three times as many women get the disease. It is estimated that 8-10,000 children under age 18 are living with MS. The estimate is that 2.3 million people worldwide have MS.

Why? No one knows

exactly. Some scientists believe it is caused by a virus or a genetic defect or both, and maybe environmental factors play a role. To see what it is like for a young woman who is told for the first time that she has MS, please watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=tlCPNycNPQM

Who Do You Know With MS?

There are many celebrities with MS

My mother-in-law had MS. When I

who have made the disease public hoping to raise awareness and funding and acceptance. They include Montel Williams, Ann Romney, Jack Osbourne, Richard Cohen and Joan Didion to name a few.

met her, she walked with two canes and turned to nutrition to improve her health. One of my sisters best friends has MS. Bonnie was extremely ill, but has improved tremendously relying heavily on a healthy lifestyle. One of my good friends has MS. He also uses exercise and nutrition, but exhibits some of the symptoms as the disease progresses. His twin brother has a more severe form of MS and is in a wheelchair.

What are Some of the Symptoms of MS and What Can Teachers Do to Help?

Symptoms are Both Physical and Emotional.

What can Teachers Do to Help When Students Have Any of These Symptoms or Other Related Issues?

Muscle spasms Numbness

Loss of balance Bowel and Bladder Symptoms Eye Problems

Problems walking Fatigue

Use of a Sit stubathroom dent near pass the door for easier exit Second set of books for home Peer note taker and/or peer organizer

Dont grade handwriting Short breaks between assignment Extra time for exams or take home tests.

Speech and Swallowing Issues

Depression

What Else Can the Teacher Use to Help and What are Some Resources to Use?

Assistive Technologies
Assistive Technology: Use

Great Resources to Learn

The Maryland Chapter of the

assistive technology such as a word processor for writing; Voice recognition software or allowing a student to submit taped work; audiobooks. Special grips to more securely grip a pen or drawing implement. Special lenses and magnifiers for visual issues.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society http://www.nationalmssociety.org /chapters/MDM/index.aspx Phone: 443-641-1200 MSActiveSource http://www.msactivesource.com/ multiple-sclerosis-resources.xml Phone: 1-800-456-2255 Family Caregiver Alliance http://www.caregiver.org/caregive r/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=57 6 Phone: 1-800-445-8106

Latest Treatment Options for Patients with MS

There is no cure for MS. However, there are some promising treatments to slow the progression of the disease.
One goal is to change the course of the disease. Disease modifying medications now exist. In 2012, an oral drug called terifluomid was approved for use in MS patients. Another drug, Fampridine, also called dalfampridine, is a potassium channel blocker that has been shown to help increase walking speed in people with MS.

A modified story memory technique can help improve cognitive skills in people with MS.

A third oral diseasemodifying drug became available in 2013. It is Dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera) which can stop the immune system from attacking itself to destroy myelin.

Transdermal infusion of myelin peptides through the use of skin patches led to fewer lesions and relapses in MS patients.

References
AsapSCIENCE. Multiple Sclerosis. Online Video Clip. YouTube. 8 May 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. Helm, Sarah, et. al. Students with MS & the Academic Setting: A Handbook for School Personnel. National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. Inglese, Michael. Multiple Sclerosis: New Insights and Trends. American Journal of Neuroradiology. May 2006. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. MSSocietyIRELAND. Living with Multiple Sclerosis Emma. Online Video Clip. YouTube. 2 Nov. 2012. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. Multiple Sclerosis Health Center. WebMD. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. Multiple Sclerosis. Mayo Clinic. 15 Dec. 2012. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. Multiple Sclerosis. MedlinePlus. National Institutes of Health: U.S. National Library of Medicine. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. Pediatric MS. Multiple Sclerosis UK Limited. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. Roth, Erica. 5 Promising New Treatments for MS: Teriflunomide. Healthline. 24 July 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.