How does Action for ME support young people under 18 with ME/CFS?

Updated

Action for ME runs a dedicated "18 and under" section for children and teenagers with ME/CFS and the people around them. It covers four practical areas: understanding the illness and managing energy, free counselling, family support, and guidance on school, leaving school and university. It also offers a Young People's Community and free online events so younger people can connect with each other. All of this sits alongside the charity's general support services, healthcare information and online forum.

What the "18 and under" section covers

The young people's area is organised around the questions that come up most often after a diagnosis:

  • You and ME – an introduction to the condition for a younger audience
  • How we can help – the support available specifically to under-18s
  • Symptoms and energy – what ME/CFS feels like and how to manage limited energy
  • Friends and relationships – dealing with the social side of being unwell
  • Free counselling for young people with ME – a dedicated counselling offer
  • Family Support – help aimed at parents, carers and siblings

There is also a Young People's Community and a programme of free online events, which matter because ME/CFS can be isolating and in-person meet-ups are often not realistic.

Education: school, leaving school and university

Education is treated as its own topic rather than a footnote, which reflects how much of a young person's life it occupies. The site covers:

  • Going to school – managing attendance and school life with ME/CFS
  • Leaving school at 16? – options and considerations at that transition point
  • Considering university – what to think about before and during higher education

If you are a parent or a young person trying to work out how to talk to a school, these pages are the natural starting point before you contact the school directly.

Health, sleep, eating and seeing a doctor

The young people's health pages cover the everyday foundations of managing ME/CFS:

  • Support from your doctor
  • Sleeping and resting well
  • Eating well

These sit under the wider "Living with ME" material, which includes pacing and energy management, managing symptoms, accessing health and social care, and work and welfare. For under-18s, the school and family pages are usually more relevant than the work and welfare ones.

Counselling, family support and peer connection

Three things are worth knowing about specifically:

  1. Free counselling for young people with ME – listed as a distinct service within the 18-and-under section.
  2. Family Support – recognises that ME/CFS affects the whole household, not just the patient.
  3. Young People's Community and free online events – a way to meet other young people with the condition without needing to travel or commit to a fixed energy budget.

For a broader picture of the charity's services, see What support services does Action for ME offer for people with ME/CFS? and What is Action for ME and who does it help?.

How to actually use it

A practical sequence if you are new to this:

  1. Start with What is ME? and Symptoms and energy so you have shared language for appointments and school meetings.
  2. Check How we can help and the counselling page to see what support you can request.
  3. Use the education pages before any meeting with a school or university.
  4. Point family members at Family Support rather than expecting them to read everything.
  5. Join the Young People's Community or a free online event if isolation is the main problem.

What to check before relying on it

The site is UK-focused (en-GB), so education and healthcare guidance assumes the UK system. The pages describe what the charity offers, but availability, waiting times and eligibility for counselling or events are not fixed on the page — confirm current details with Action for ME directly. Membership and donations are separate from the free support content, so you do not need to join to read the guidance.