IBD and Australian schools

Going to school with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis (IBD) can sometimes be challenging.

IBD symptoms can be unpredictable. A student may need urgent access to the toilet, miss school because of a flare or medical appointments, feel exhausted, take medication during the school day or need extra time to catch up after an absence.

With the right support and reasonable adjustments, students with IBD can participate in school, learning, sport, excursions and social activities alongside their classmates.

🏫 How can schools support a student with IBD?

The first step is good communication between the family, student and school.

It can help to make sure key staff understand:

• What IBD is

• How it affects the student

• What symptoms they may experience

• What to do if they become unwell at school

• Where they can access a toilet

• Whether they need medication during the school day

• What happens if they need to leave class suddenly

• How the school will support them after an absence

The student should also have a say in their support, particularly as they get older.

🚽 Toilet access

One of the most important accommodations for a student with IBD is immediate and unrestricted access to a toilet.

IBD can cause:

• Urgency

• Frequent bowel movements

• Diarrhoea

• Abdominal pain

• Accidents

• The need to use the toilet without warning

A student should not have to wait for permission when they urgently need to use the bathroom.

Practical arrangements may include:

• A toilet pass

• Permission to leave class without asking

• Access to the nearest toilet

• Access to an alternative toilet where appropriate

• A private signal between the student and teacher

• A seat close to the classroom door

• A plan for what happens if an accident occurs

📚 Absences and missed school

IBD can result in absences because of:

• Flares

• Hospital admissions

• Gastroenterology appointments

• Blood tests and investigations

• Colonoscopies and other procedures

• Infusions

• Medication side effects

• Fatigue

• Recovery after illness or treatment

Missing school because of IBD does not mean a student is not interested in learning.

When they are well enough to return, they may need help catching up without feeling overwhelmed.

📝 Catching up after an absence

A school can work with the student and family to create a simple plan for missed work.

This might include:

• Providing class notes

• Identifying the most important work to complete first

• Giving access to online learning materials

• Allowing additional time for assignments

• Adjusting deadlines when appropriate

• Providing a teacher or learning-support contact

• Helping the student prioritise missed work

• Avoiding an overwhelming pile of work immediately after returning

The goal should be to help the student reconnect with learning, rather than expecting them to complete everything they missed at once.

🧠 Fatigue and concentration

IBD-related fatigue can make school particularly difficult.

A student may look fine but still have difficulty with:

• Concentration

• Memory

• Processing information

• Completing work

• Staying focused for long periods

• Participating in sport

• Managing a full school day

Possible adjustments could include:

• Short rest breaks

• Additional time for tasks

• Reduced workload during periods of significant illness

• Flexible deadlines

• A quieter place to complete work

• Breaking larger tasks into smaller sections

• Catch-up time after medical appointments or absences

The appropriate adjustments will depend on the individual student's needs.

💊 Medication at school

Some students with IBD need medication during school hours.

The school and family should discuss:

• What medication needs to be taken

• When it needs to be taken

• Where it will be stored

• Who is responsible for administering it

• What happens if a dose is missed

• What to do if the student becomes unwell

Medication arrangements should be documented clearly so the student does not have to repeatedly explain their medical needs to different staff members.

🥗 Food and dietary needs

Not every child with IBD needs a special diet.

However, some students may have individual dietary requirements or restrictions recommended by their healthcare team.

Schools should be made aware of any relevant requirements, particularly for:

• School camps

• Excursions

• School events

• Class parties

• Food technology

• School canteens

It is important that dietary needs are handled respectfully and that students are not singled out unnecessarily.

🏃 Sport and physical education

IBD does not automatically mean a student cannot participate in sport.

Many children and teenagers with IBD can take part in physical activity when they are well enough.

However, during a flare or period of significant fatigue, they may need temporary adjustments.

These might include:

• Taking additional breaks

• Modifying activities

• Having easy access to a toilet

• Sitting out when they are unwell

• Gradually returning to physical activity after illness or hospitalisation

The student's healthcare team can provide advice when there are specific medical restrictions.

🚌 Excursions, camps and school activities

IBD should not automatically prevent a student from joining in with school activities.

Planning ahead can make a big difference.

Before an excursion or camp, consider:

• Where the nearest toilets are

• How quickly the student can access them

• Whether medication is required

• What food will be available

• What happens if the student becomes unwell

• How medical information will be communicated

• Who the student can speak to privately

• What arrangements are needed for transport

A student should be included in planning wherever possible.

📝 Exams and assignments

IBD symptoms can make exams and assessment periods particularly difficult.

A student may experience pain, urgency, fatigue, hospital appointments or a flare during an important assessment period.

Depending on their circumstances, possible adjustments may include:

• Toilet access during exams

• Additional rest breaks

• Additional working time where appropriate

• A separate or quieter examination environment

• Rescheduling an assessment when medically necessary

• Extensions for assignments

• Alternative arrangements following significant illness or hospitalisation

The exact arrangements depend on the school, education system and type of assessment.

For major external assessments, such as senior secondary examinations, additional processes may apply.

🤝 Reasonable adjustments

Australian education providers have obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and Disability Standards for Education 2005 to support students with disability.

This includes making reasonable adjustments that allow students with disability to participate and learn on the same basis as students without disability.

A chronic health condition such as IBD may, depending on the individual circumstances, be relevant to disability protections.

Reasonable adjustments are individual. What one student needs may be very different from what another student with IBD needs.

📋 Creating an IBD school support plan

A written IBD School Support Plan can help everyone understand what the student needs.

It could include:

Student information

Name, year level and key school contacts.

Medical information

A brief explanation of IBD and the student's individual symptoms.

Toilet arrangements

Where the student can go and how they can leave class.

Medication

What medication is required during school hours and the agreed arrangements.

Flare plan

What staff should do if symptoms suddenly become worse.

Absences

How the school will communicate missed work and support the student when they return.

Learning adjustments

Any agreed adjustments for fatigue, concentration, assignments and exams.

Sport and activities

Any temporary restrictions or adjustments.

Emergency contacts

Parent or caregiver and relevant medical contacts.

You can download our free school plan here:

🧑‍🏫 Who at school should know?

The student does not necessarily need to explain their condition to everyone at school.

It can be helpful to identify a small group of staff who need to know, such as:

• Classroom teacher

• Year-level coordinator

• Wellbeing or learning-support staff

• School nurse, where available

• Principal or relevant school leader

• Sports or PE teacher

• Staff supervising camps and excursions

The student should have a say in who knows about their IBD and what information is shared.

🧾 What is the NCCD?

Some students with IBD may receive adjustments at school that are relevant to Australia's Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD).

The NCCD collects information about students who receive reasonable adjustments to participate in education on the same basis as students without disability.

The NCCD is about the adjustments a student receives, rather than simply whether they have an IBD diagnosis.

Schools determine whether a student meets the NCCD requirements based on the relevant criteria and evidence.

If your child requires ongoing adjustments because of IBD, it may be worth asking the school whether their support needs are being appropriately documented.

🗣️ Talk to the school early

You don't have to wait until your child is struggling before talking to their school.

A conversation early in the school year, after diagnosis or when treatment changes can help everyone understand what your child needs.

It can be useful to arrange a meeting with the relevant school staff and bring information from your child's IBD team if appropriate.

❤️ School should still feel like school

IBD can already take up a lot of a child's life.

Hospital appointments, tests, medications and symptoms can make them feel different from their classmates.

School should be a place where they can learn, make friends, play sport, join excursions and feel included.

With good communication, practical adjustments and understanding from school staff, children and teenagers with IBD can continue to be part of school life.

IBD may change what a student needs at school, but it doesn't have to stop them from being part of it.

This information is general and does not replace advice from your child's healthcare team or your school. Education requirements and processes can vary between Australian states and territories.