Managing fatigue for teens with MS

For teens living with MS, managing fatigue is important for maintaining everyday activities both at home and at school. In this three-part series, senior occupational therapist Ashlee Cruz from the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, offers practical strategies to support teens with MS and their families.

Part one

In part one of this series, senior occupational therapist Ashlee Cruz explores MS fatigue in teens, discussing its prevalence, characteristics and significant effects on daily life. Ashlee gives an overview of the difference between MS fatigue from typical tiredness, and highlights the challenges in differentiating MS fatigue from normal adolescent behaviour. The discussion includes potential causes, and its wide-reaching impacts on teens who are living with MS and are impacted by fatigue.

Part two

In part two of this series, Ashlee explores strategies for helping teens manage fatigue, focusing on individual activity levels and their impact on energy. Ashlee outlines typical activity patterns that teens may follow, which then leads to worsening of fatigue levels, and provides practical strategies and tips to ensure activity levels are balanced and sustainable.

Part three

In the third and final part of this series, Ashlee discusses various lifestyle changes and strategies to help teens manage their MS fatigue, with emphasis on early intervention, tailored support from healthcare teams, and the role of family involvement in improving the quality of life for teens with MS dealing with fatigue.

Presenter

Ashlee Cruz is a Senior Occupational Therapist at The Royal Children’s Hospitalopens in new tab, Melbourne. Ashlee’s qualifications include a Bachelor in Occupational Therapy (LaTrobe University, 2009) and a Master of Advanced Occupational Therapy Practice (Monash University, 2019). Ashlee has worked across a variety of community and hospital based paediatric settings and has developed a passion and expertise in working with children and adolescents with neurological conditions, and in particular neuromuscular disorders. Ashlee completed a research study on the use of mobile arm supports in individuals with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in 2019 as part of her Masters.