School, friendships, growing confidence, and the everyday experiences that help children discover who they are and who they can become.
For every child, school is a place of learning—but it's also where friendships are built, interests are discovered, confidence grows, and independence begins to take shape.
Children living with Duchenne deserve every opportunity to experience those moments. With thoughtful planning, appropriate accommodations, and open communication between families, schools, and healthcare teams, most children can continue participating in the activities that make school meaningful.
During the Walking & Active years, your child's needs may begin to change. They may tire more easily during the school day, need additional time to move between classrooms, or benefit from simple accommodations that help conserve energy. These changes don't mean lowering expectations. They mean creating an environment where your child can learn, participate, and succeed alongside their peers.
Educational systems, disability laws, and available services vary around the world. Rather than trying to explain every country's policies, this page focuses on the questions that are common to families everywhere: how to work with your child's school, encourage age-appropriate independence, support participation inside and outside the classroom, and find trusted resources specific to your country or region.
Above all, we hope this page reminds you that success at school isn't measured only by grades. It's also found in friendships, curiosity, growing confidence, and the countless everyday experiences that help children discover who they are and who they can become.
Understanding Your Child's Needs at School
Every child living with Duchenne is unique, and so are their needs at school.
While many children continue to thrive in a mainstream classroom, they may benefit from accommodations that help them conserve energy, participate safely, and fully engage in learning alongside their peers.
Your child's neuromuscular team can be one of the school's greatest resources.
Physical therapists, occupational therapists, physicians, nurses, psychologists, and other members of your care team can work with educators to help them understand Duchenne and recommend practical strategies that support your child's success.
In many countries, schools have professionals who provide educational support, therapy services, accessibility planning, or disability accommodations. The names of these roles—and the services they provide—vary around the world, but the goal is the same: helping every child access their education in the least restrictive and most supportive environment possible.
Rather than waiting until challenges arise, consider meeting with your child's school before the beginning of each school year. Sharing information early allows everyone to work together to develop a plan that supports both learning and participation.
Planning for School Success
One of the most important things you can do for your child is build a strong partnership between your family, your healthcare team, and your child's school.
When everyone is working toward the same goal, children are more likely to receive the support they need while continuing to learn, participate, and thrive alongside their peers.
As your child grows, they may benefit from a formal educational support plan. These plans help schools understand your child's strengths, needs, and recommended accommodations so that learning remains accessible, safe, and inclusive.
Although these plans have different names around the world, they all serve a similar purpose: helping children access their education while participating as fully as possible in school life. A strong support plan should evolve as your child's needs change and address not only academics, but also mobility, accessibility, participation, communication, and your child's overall well-being at school.
Topics Often Included in School Support Plans
Every child is different, but conversations with your school may include:
Managing fatigue throughout the school day
Safe mobility around the school campus
Extra time between classes
Accessible classrooms and seating
Physical education modifications
Emergency evacuation planning
Bathroom accessibility
Assistive technology
Testing accommodations
Medication administration when needed
Participation in field trips, school performances, sports, and extracurricular activities
Communication between your school and healthcare team
Many of these accommodations cost little or nothing to implement. Often, simple adjustments make the greatest difference in helping children conserve energy while remaining active participants in school life.
DMD Pathways Tip: Don't wait until challenges arise. Meeting with your child's school before the beginning of each school year gives everyone time to plan accommodations, answer questions, and create a successful start to the year.
Encouraging Self-Advocacy
As children grow, they naturally become more aware of their own needs. School is a wonderful place to begin building age-appropriate self-advocacy skills.
At this stage, self-advocacy may be as simple as telling a teacher they're feeling tired, asking for extra time to get to class, or explaining why they use certain equipment. As your child's confidence grows, they can begin participating in conversations about the accommodations and supports that help them succeed.
Self-advocacy develops one conversation at a time. By encouraging your child to speak up in small, supported ways, you're helping build confidence and life skills that will continue to grow throughout childhood and into adulthood.
Educational Support Around the World
Educational systems differ from country to country, but many provide formal processes for documenting accommodations and supporting students with disabilities. While the names may differ, the goal is remarkably similar: ensuring every child has the opportunity to learn, participate, and succeed.
🇺🇸United States
504 Plan
A 504 Plan provides accommodations that help students with disabilities fully participate in the general education classroom. These may include accessible seating, additional time between classes, modified physical education, assistive technology, or other classroom adjustments. Students receiving a 504 Plan do not require specialized instruction.
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a legally binding educational plan for students who qualify for special education services. In addition to accommodations, an IEP may include individualized learning goals and school-based services such as physical, occupational, or speech therapy.
Most Canadian provinces and territories use an Individual Education Plan—or a similarly named document—to outline accommodations, learning supports, and individualized educational goals. Because education is managed provincially, the exact process varies depending on where you live.
Your Provincial or Territorial Ministry of Education
🇬🇧United Kingdom
Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan
Children with more complex educational or healthcare needs may qualify for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. These plans coordinate education, healthcare, and social care services to support a child's development both inside and outside the classroom.
SEN Support
Many children receive Special Educational Needs (SEN) Support without requiring an EHC Plan. This may include classroom accommodations, specialist teaching, therapy services, or additional classroom assistance.
Irish schools provide a range of supports for students with additional educational needs. Depending on the child's circumstances, this may include classroom accommodations, Special Needs Assistants (SNAs), assistive technology, and individualized educational planning.
Australian schools provide individualized learning adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education. While terminology varies by state and territory, schools work with families to develop plans that support accessibility, participation, and inclusion.
New Zealand schools work with families to develop Learning Support Plans that identify accommodations, specialist services, and educational supports based on each student's individual needs.
Educational support plans vary across Europe, but nearly every country has formal processes for identifying students who require additional educational support or accommodations. Your national muscular dystrophy organization or Ministry of Education can help explain the process where you live.
Educational support systems vary between countries, but many Ministries of Education provide inclusive education services and accommodations for students with disabilities. National muscular dystrophy organizations, rare disease organizations, and children's hospitals can also help families navigate available services.
Many countries throughout Asia provide educational accommodations through their Ministries of Education or local education authorities, although terminology and processes vary. Your child's neuromuscular clinic or national muscular dystrophy organization can often help connect your family with local educational resources.
Inclusive education continues to expand across Africa, with many countries strengthening educational supports for students with disabilities. Hospital social workers, rehabilitation centers, national disability organizations, and Ministries of Education are often excellent starting points for understanding available services.
You don't have to become an expert in education law.
Your role is to understand your child's needs, ask questions, and build strong partnerships with the people supporting them. Teachers, therapists, healthcare professionals, and school staff each bring valuable expertise. When families and schools work together, children are given the opportunity not only to succeed academically, but also to build confidence, develop independence, build meaningful friendships, and fully participate in the experiences that make childhood memorable.
Technology That Supports Learning
Technology has become an important part of education for many children, and for students living with Duchenne, it can also reduce fatigue, support independence, and make learning more accessible. The right tools allow children to focus their energy on learning rather than overcoming physical barriers.
Not every child will need assistive technology, and the right solutions often change over time. Some children benefit from simple adjustments, while others find that technology becomes an important part of how they participate in the classroom. The goal isn't to replace traditional learning—it's to remove unnecessary obstacles while encouraging confidence, independence, and full participation in school life.
Your child's occupational therapist is often one of the best resources for identifying technology that supports writing, computer access, classroom participation, and everyday school activities. If additional support is needed, schools may also work with assistive technology specialists who can recommend equipment, software, or classroom modifications based on your child's individual strengths and needs.
The most successful solutions are those that fit naturally into your child's daily routine while helping them remain as independent as possible. Whenever appropriate, technology should empower children to do more—not do everything for them.
Common Types of Assistive Technology
Depending on your child's needs, schools or therapy teams may recommend:
Speech-to-text software for writing assignments
Word prediction and spelling support
Digital note-taking tools
Tablets or laptops for classroom work
Alternative keyboards or computer mice
Touchscreen devices
Adjustable desks or computer workstations
Audiobooks and text-to-speech software
Digital planners and organizational tools
Accessible educational apps
Many of these tools are already available through schools or educational support services and can often be introduced gradually as your child's needs change.
Finding Assistive Technology Resources
Access to assistive technology varies around the world. Many countries offer educational technology programs, disability services, or funding that can help families obtain appropriate equipment. Your child's occupational therapist, school, neuromuscular clinic, or local disability organization can often help identify resources available in your area.
New Zealand Ministry of Education Learning Support resources
Latin America, Asia & Africa
Families should begin with their national muscular dystrophy organization, disability advocacy organization, education ministry, or neuromuscular clinic. Hospital occupational therapists and rehabilitation teams are often excellent sources of information about assistive technology, funding, and educational support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Every child's school experience is unique, but many families find themselves asking similar questions. Below are some of the questions we hear most often from families during the Walking & Active years.
What We Wish
Someone Had Told Us
Honest advice and lessons learned from Duchenne families who've been there.
When our child started school, we worried about accommodations, accessibility, and whether everyone would understand Duchenne.
Those things mattered. But looking back, they weren't what made school special.
What our child remembers are the teachers who believed in them, the friends who included them, and the moments when someone found a way to say, "Yes, you can be part of this too."
We also learned that independence isn't something children suddenly have—it's something they're given the opportunity to practice. Every time we stepped back just enough to let our child speak for themselves, make a decision, or solve a problem, their confidence grew.
If we could tell families one thing, it would be this:
Advocate for the accommodations your child needs, but never lose sight of the experiences those accommodations make possible.
Because years from now, your child probably won't remember every meeting or every form you completed.
They'll remember how school made them feel. Whether someone believed in them. Whether they felt included. Whether they had a chance to learn, to make friends and to simply be a child in the classroom. Those are the moments that stay with us long after the report cards have been put away.
