Objective: To determine the typical time elapsed between discharge from an inpatient spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation program and the physical return to school, and to identify barriers faced by patients attempting to return to school.
Study design: A retrospective review of all patients ages 18 years or younger who sustained SCI between 1989 and 1995, with resultant paraplegia or tetraplegia, and who attended either primary or secondary school, completed their inpatient rehabilitation at our regional SCI center, and were using a wheelchair when discharged from the hospital.
Results: Fifteen of 16 eligible patients agreed to participate. The median time for subjects with paraplegia to return to school after hospital discharge was 10 days; subjects with tetraplegia required a median of 62 days. Architectural and transportation barriers that patients encountered were identified.
Conclusion: Individuals with SCI return to school relatively soon after discharge from the hospital. Barriers do not prohibit a return to school, but they are problematic.