Chronic Illness
Many young people with disabilities also manage chronic health conditions that affect daily life, education, employment, and independence. A chronic illness is a health condition that doesn’t go away quickly and may affect a person’s daily life for months, years, or even a lifetime. Examples include Arthritis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Celiac Disease, and Depressive Disorders. In addition to navigating disability-related supports, they may face ongoing medical appointments, treatments, medication management, fatigue, or other health challenges that can impact school, work, and social activities. Managing both a chronic illness and a disability can cause stress and make it harder to stay independent, and sometimes, figuring out which symptoms are caused by illness or disability can be difficult. Some people experience diagnostic overshadowing, when a healthcare provider assumes that a person’s symptoms are caused by a known disability, mental health condition, or diagnosis, and as a result overlooks another health problem that may be causing the symptoms.
Understanding these experiences can help families, professionals, and youth work together to build effective supports and pathways to success.
In this issue of RAISE The Standard, we explore how young people with disabilities and chronic illnesses can manage their health, build independence, advocate for their needs, and reach their goals.