Attitude can either drive a wedge between a child’s school and his family or draw them together as a team. I learned this seven years ago when my children were first diagnosed with Lyme. Our family was able to engage the school on behalf of our children, forging a path in our school district that would benefit all children struggling with Lyme.

Although our first efforts were misunderstood, we continued to talk through the conflicts until our school principal became involved, realizing the pain and suffering our family endured. She helped us build supports our children needed, which in turn helped our organization, Time For Lyme, Inc., learn to navigate the school district, so we could educate others.

Lyme disease symptoms are so complex that children who have Lyme often become isolated. The most important people in their lives (including their parents, siblings, doctors, teachers and peers) may not believe they are ill. As others debate the issues children are caught in the crossfire.

Children should feel safe and protected in their schools, but those with Lyme disease often feel alienated and misunderstood. Five years ago Time For Lyme, Inc. decided to promote change by developing a Lyme Disease Curriculum to educate our school district. Our commitment came from the knowledge that our community is highly endemic for lyme ticks, which makes Lyme disease awareness an important matter for all students and educators.

In a cooperative effort between Time for Lyme, Inc. and school administrators, we created a curriculum about tick borne diseases with age appropriate goals, activities, and measurable guidelines. The curriculum includes information on tick awareness, prevention tips, a tick removal kit, and important information on the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease.

The TFL curriculum is designed for use in elementary school (grades K and 3), middle school (grade 6), and high school (grade 9). The program delivers an appropriate prevention message to each grade level.

The 6th Grade program includes a 22 minute DVD Lyme Disease, A Guide to Prevention focusing on prevention. The high school program includes a 20 minute DVD Living the Lyme Life. It is a discussion of the psychological, emotional, and social ramifications of Lyme disease, described through the voices of high school students themselves.

Our hope is that education will prevent Lyme disease in those who are well and promote empathy, understanding, and compassion for those struggling to overcome their illness.

If you would like to incorporate the curriculum into your school, consider taking these steps:

• Familiarize yourself with the curriculum material.
• Develop a working relationship with your school principal and/or district administrator.
• Together with the administrator, approach your district’s curriculum team to advocate use of the curriculum in your district.
• Meet with the Board of Education and high-level district administrators, as necessary.
• Determine where the curriculum fits (the most likely placement is in the Health and Safety Curriculum, where other health issues including infectious diseases, such as AIDS are addressed).
• Advocate for the curriculum where decisions are being made. In our case, it was discussed in the context of the Health and Safety Curriculum.
• In advance of the curriculum meeting, submit the grade-level objectives clearly stated in the Lyme Disease Curriculum Program. These objectives are concise and age appropriate for grades K, 3, 6, and 9. The allotted timeframe for teaching a Health and Safety topic varies in schools, but is usually no longer than 30 minutes.
• Be prepared to discuss the value of the objectives and submit the curriculum for review. Consider bringing some disease incidence statistics (for your community) to indicate infection risk and prevention and awareness need.
• Upon approval of the objectives in the Health and Safety Curriculum, offer to meet with each grade-level curriculum representative to ensure appropriate program implementation.

Reminders: Always keep your initial contacts informed of your progress and ask them to internally advocate for the program. Remember your teachers and school administrators can and should be your children’s best allies. If you don’t succeed with one, try again or try another one.

Time for Lyme, Inc. thanks Dr. Sandra Mond, former Parkway School Principal and Dr. Maria Melendez, former Deputy Superintendent of Greenwich Public Schools for their support and encouragement in the creation of this program.

HOW TO ORDER THE TFL CURRICULUM

The Time For Lyme Curriculum includes four binders, each containing one easily reproduceable curriculum for grades K, 3, 6, and 9. In addition there are two DVD’s: Lyme Disease, A Guide to Prevention and Living the Lyme Life, a Red Cross Tick Removal Kit (available in both English and Spanish), and educational material for school nurses. The total program cost is $60.

Download and print out our order form for the TFL Curriculum

Orders should be mailed to:
Time For Lyme, Inc
P.O. Box 31269
Greenwich, CT 06831

Questions: Please call us at 203-969-1333

Also available from Time for Lyme,Inc: “The Students, The Educators & Lyme Disease.” Developed for teachers, this video addresses the cognitive, social, and emotional issues that students with Lyme disease often face. The video features Brian Fallon, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Director of Columbia Lyme Disease Research Center, Leo Shea III, PhD, Clinical Neuropsychologist and Asst. Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine, Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation, NY, and Sandy Berenbaum, LCSW, BCDClinical Social Worker, Family Connections Center for Counseling, Brewster, NY.