Before starting school, consider having your child meet with an occupational or physical therapist to determine whether they need accommodations. After that, you may want to talk with your child’s teachers and school administration so they know what to expect and how to help your child.

Your child may be entitled to accommodations from their school, such as:

• 504 plan (a document created by the school and parents that will identify accommodations, such as providing step stools, to help your child participate in the classroom)
• Individualized education plan (IEP) (a personalized document that describes the special education services your child will receive, such as speech or reading help)

Additional adaptations and accommodations:

• LPA’s Accommodations in the School presentation
• Beyond Achondroplasia’s ergonomic adaptations for school

If you would like to educate your child’s classmates and their families about achondroplasia, one option is to write a back-to-school letter to be sent home with the students in your child’s class (an editable example letter can be found here). Another option is to ask a charitable foundation or advocacy group member to give a brief presentation about achondroplasia to the class at the start of the school year.

It’s important to involve your child in the decision about whether and how to educate their classmates about achondroplasia. This is a personal decision that should be made based on your child’s personality and environment.

Children with achondroplasia have some physical limitations when it comes to participating in sports. They may tire more easily than their peers during exercise. This is due to a variety of factors, including a shorter stride length that causes them to take more steps (and therefore, expend more energy), shorter muscles that fatigue at an earlier stage, and a lower lung capacity that causes them to breathe more frequently.

There is also an increased risk of damage to the spinal cord from a forceful head or neck injury. Therefore, medical professionals advise that your child avoid contact sports or other activities that could increase the chance of head or neck injuries, such as jumping on a trampoline or American football. Activities generally considered safe include swimming, golf, tennis, soccer (without “heading”), baseball or softball, and basketball.

Encourage your child to try out physical activities in which they can participate safely. Adapted sports have many social, emotional, and developmental benefits for children with achondroplasia. The Dwarf Athletic Association of America is a nonprofit organization that provides amateur level athletic opportunities for athletes with skeletal dysplasia in the United States.

Your child will probably start to become aware that they are smaller than their peers around the age of 4 to 6 years. This realization usually happens slowly over time, rather than at a particular time point.

The conversations you have with your child will set the stage for how they view themselves. It’s important to respond to their questions in a sensitive and age-appropriate way. For example, if they ask why they aren’t as tall as their classmates, you may choose to say something like, “Your bones don’t grow the same way their bones do, and that is why you are shorter. You are different in your own way, and that’s what makes you special!” It’s important to help them develop their self-awareness in a positive and healthy way.

Some other approaches you can take to help your child understand their differences are:

• Reading Understanding Dwarfism’s e-book “Not too big…not too small…just right for me!” together
• Placing mirrors low on the wall so they can see themselves frequently
• Giving them the opportunity to see and meet others with short stature by joining a support group and/or attending a conference

It’s likely that your child will be the only one with short stature at their school. They may receive increased attention and/or questions from their peers about their height. Practicing how to respond with your child can help them feel comfortable answering such questions on their own. You may also consider asking your child’s teacher to discuss these differences with other students to help them understand.

Young children with achondroplasia often experience feelings of frustration due to physical limitations, such as not being able to reach door handles and light switches. At this age, they may start to compare their abilities to those of their peers. Adaptations and modifications, like doorknob extenders and lowered light switches, will help your child become more independent and may reduce feelings of frustration.