Empowering children to effectively self-manage asthma.

The prevalence of childhood asthma continues to rise, despite the introduction and implementation of innovative treatment methods. Asthma is now one of the most common childhood diseases. It is widely believed that the causes of asthma are likely to be multifactorial. Education on asthma management remains primarily focused on the parents of asthmatic children. A heightened emphasis on education aimed primarily at the child is imperative if the negative trends in morbidity and mortality of childhood asthma are to be curtailed. This article examines the need to correlate educational content with the cognitive ability of the asthmatic child.