Table 12
Health
Surveillance for adolescents in post-primary school (11 - 18 years)
| Year
7 |
| A
questionnaire should be developed, to be completed by parents at the
start of year 7 (transition from primary to post-primary school). |
| At
Year 7, a nurse or other health professional should interview each
student, in conjunction with information obtained by the questionnaire,
to identify any problems. |
|
| Year
8 |
| Hearing
and vision should be tested, including colour vision for males. |
| Observe
student for behaviour and physical characteristics. |
| Outcomes
of earlier interventions should be evaluated. |
| Check
on: |
|
- dental health; |
|
- immunisation. |
| Health
education/promotional activities should be undertaken, concerning
vision and hearing specifically, and other areas as appropriate. |
|
| Transferees |
| A
nurse or other health professional should check records, and carry
out year 7 and 8 health surveillance activities if needed. |
|
| Further
action |
| Further
action regarding year 7 and 8 students will depend on findings, and
may be: |
|
- nil, with or without discussion with patent, teacher and/or student; |
|
- further assessment |
|
- referral; |
|
- review. |
|
| Referrals |
| Referrals
to health surveillance professionals should be adequately and appropriately
handled, as per primary school recommendations. |
|
| Adolescents
with additional needs |
| All
students identified as having possible additional needs should have
a comprehensive health assessment as early as possible for diagnostic
and/or descriptive purposes, management and planning. |
| All
students with additional needs, on entering post-primary school, should
be identified through the routine health surveillance process. Parents
should be involved throughout in the assessment and management of
their child. It should be ascertained whether adequate health assessment
has previously been performed, and future programs should be established,
along with mechanisms to maintain contact between parents, child and
health surveillance professionals as required. |
| Students
in special settings should have their health needs assessed as soon
as possible after enrolment, in conjunction with parents, students
and staff. Results of previous health assessments should be ascertained,
and health assessment carried out if necessary. Programs should be
planned and annual reviews offered if needed. |
| Students
identified during school life as having additional needs (for example,
chronic illness, learning disabilities, low-incidence disabilities
etc.) need comprehensive health assessment not just of the area if
their disability, but of the whole child, with a view to gaining a
picture not only of a child's weakness but also, and importantly,
of his or her strengths. |
| Parents
and teachers of all adolescents with additional needs should have
access to appropriate information, health education, coordination,
liaison and advocacy. |
| Professionals
working with these students need liaison with all others involved
with the student, to ensure a coordinated, holistic approach to the
students and the parents, while respecting confidentiality. |
| Monitoring
for the purposes of evaluation, planning, epidemiology and research
is also important. |
|
| Population
surveillance for adolescents in post-primary school |
| All
health surveillance activities should be recorded to establish a population
surveillance database. |
| All
health surveillance activities need continued review and prospective
evaluation. |
|