School Liaison Program offers critical lessons
The long-term effects of brain tumor treatment often reveal themselves most dramatically as young survivors enter school and face increasing mental demands.
The staff of the Bernon Family School Liaison Program at Dana-Farber are experienced, knowledgeable advocates for these children, reaching out to teachers, school officials, and parents who haven't encountered pupils like these in the past.
Barbara Gannon, PsyD, (right) confers with Julianne Doyle (left) and Maria Luisa Victoria, PhD.
"We work with parents to help them understand the late effects of treatment, inform them about learning disorders, and help them negotiate the special education system" to obtain the often complex mix of services their children require, says Barbara Gannon, PsyD, a psychologist who heads the program. The staff also helps connect patients with agencies serving people with disabilities.
Named for supporters Alan and Carol Bernon of Wellesley, Mass., the program began in 1995 and now tracks about 400 pediatric brain tumor survivors from throughout New England.
Although assistance can take many forms, a constant theme is showing students how to tap their mental strengths to compensate for learning deficits. The response from school personnel has been extremely positive, according to program psychologist Maria Luisa Victoria, PhD. She works with Latino patients and families facing possible language and cultural barriers in their school systems.
Each year the School Liaison Program holds a two-day workshop to educate classroom and special education teachers and others about the unique needs of brain tumor survivors. Robin Plumer, the mother of survivor Arianne Del Rios, even paid the registration fee one year so someone from her daughter's school could attend.
Plumer cites program staffer Julianne Doyle, a special education consultant, as being "invaluable" in obtaining services for Arianne. "Julianne comes to meetings with me," she notes, "and lends credibility to the whole process."
To reach the Bernon Family School Liaison Program, please call Barbara Gannon at (617) 632-3962.
