Just In Time for the School Year: A New Pediatric Pacing Guide

#MEAction is excited to share a new and much-needed resource just in time for back to school! We are so thankful to have our allies at Long Covid Families join us in developing the Pacing and Management Guide for Pediatric ME/CFS and Long COVID. 

Our Pacing and Management Guide has been a critical and well-received part of our #StopRestPace campaign and we have been planning on adapting it specifically for children and teens. The Long Covid Families team brought in exactly what we needed to help bring this modified guide into fruition. 

As many children are heading back to school, it’s imperative that educators and caregivers are equipped with the tools to help children who are struggling with post-exertional malaise (PEM) as part of ME and/or Long COVID. This guide is meant to equip children and caregivers of children with ME or Long COVID with the tools they need to help their child learn how to pace their activity. Pacing is the number one tool for post-exertional malaise, or PEM: one of the core symptoms of Long COVID and the defining symptom of myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). PEM is a flare of symptoms and/or the appearance of new symptoms after exertion, often presenting 24 hours after the triggering event. Physical and cognitive activity or sensory overload can all trigger PEM.

Pacing is key for avoiding “crashes,” and can be combined with radical rest and recovery time to prevent a worsening of symptoms. We realize Stop/Rest/Pace is easier to say than to do. That is why our guide offers practical insight on how to recognize PEM, strategies for most effectively managing activity, and suggestions on how to accommodate children with ME/CFS and Long COVID in school. 

Looking for more insights into managing Back-To-School with Long Covid and/or ME? Check out the Long Covid Families Back-To-School Virtual Event next week, August 8-12, 2022! 

Thank you to Long Covid Families for their efforts and excellent allyship! Thank you to everyone who shares our #StopRestPace campaign and pacing guides to help get the word out to those who need to hear this critical message now! Help us get this pediatric guide into the hands of those who need it! 

Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp
Email

1 thought on “Just In Time for the School Year: A New Pediatric Pacing Guide”

  1. Could you also make a pdf of this in A4 format. Printing it on A4 paper means a small part of the text on the front page gets cut off.

Comments are closed.

Latest News

#MEAction Scotland volunteers in Scottish Parliament

Volunteers from #MEAction Scotland and Long Covid Scotland talked to over 60 MSPs (Members of the Scottish Parliament) at an Information Stall in the Scottish Parliament from 5th-7th November. Ben Macpherson MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith sponsored the stall on behalf of  #MEAction Scotland as we aimed to make MSPs aware of the desperate

Read More »
hunter green rectangle image with fall leaves around the boarder. in the center the #meaction logo and the words, What we are thankful for

#MEAction Gives Thanks

We have come to the time of year, where we focus on what we are thankful for and what has made a difference in our lives. At #MEAction we will always be thankful for this amazing community, for you truly are OUT OF THIS WORLD! With this focus, #MEAction staff share what they are most

Read More »
Scroll to Top