Dealing with death in special schools

[annie]

How do you help a young person with a learning disability come to terms with the death of a friend? In special schools this is something that they have to deal with more often than most.


"Where's Chloe? Is Chloe coming back?" After 14-year-old Chloe Palmer-White died earlier this year these were the questions her class teacher Paula had to deal with on an almost daily basis.

"It was a very emotional time. We had to keep reminding the class that no, Chloe had died so Chloe wasn't coming back."

But at Chloe's school, St Nicholas in Chippenham, Wiltshire, they were able to celebrate her life at their annual Friendship Day ceremony.

"It's really important that we do something here in the school" says Bruce Douglas, the head teacher. "Those young people are so special and important to us, they leave such a big gap when they're not here."
Video:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-33348315

[wendy]

this is so interesting, thank you