Daniels Philanthropies, Daniels Family Sustainable Energy Foundation
Daniels Family Science Foundation

In many hot, low-resource communities, school is not a break from the heat. It may be the hottest place a child spends the day.​ The Daniels Philanthropies field report from Homa Bay, Kenya describes how classrooms using common corrugated metal roofs feel like ovens and indoor temperatures regularly rise above 95°F (35°C). Students become tired, thirsty, and less able to focus. Some schools have no safe drinking water or reliable water sources.

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Heat harms all children. Their bodies are still developing, and they depend on adults for water, shade, and help. A systematic review of 163 studies found that climate-related heat affects child illness, hospital visits, breathing problems, birth outcomes, and deaths. Research on rural schools in the Philippines also reports dehydration, fatigue, poor concentration, missed class, and weaker learning in overheated classrooms. 

 

For children with autism, intellectual disability, mental illness, or speech and language difficulties, the danger can be even greater.​ Some autistic people experience temperature, thirst, pain, or other body signals differently. A child may be overheating without fully noticing it. Another child may notice but be unable to say, “I feel dizzy,” “I need water,” or “I need to leave.” Noise, bright light, crowded spaces, and sudden changes in routine can add more distress.

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Every child is different. Solutions made to prevent heat impcts for the average student may miss the needs of disadvantaged children who need help first. Emerging studies describe differences in temperature awareness and body signals among some autistic people, as well as communication difficulties that can limit a child’s ability to express basic needs. Studies comparing children with and without communication disorders during heatwaves are still rare. That is an important evidence gap, but it is not a reason to wait. Early heat symptoms must be noticed and reported quickly. There is extensive evidence that medication for neurodevelopmental and mental disorders makes children even less able to regulate their body heat.

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In many developing countries, including the Philippines, families and schools cannot depend on air conditioning, reliable electricity, or a cooler home for remote learning. A nationwide South Korean study supports this concern. During extreme heat events, the emergency admission risk increases by 23% for people with intellectual disability and 20% for people with mental disorders.​ The estimate  for patients with autism was 6% higher. Risk was also higher among rural and low-income patients. The researchers said people with intellectual disability, autism, and mental disorders should be treated as high-risk groups during heat waves and seasonal increases in temperature, now supercharged by climate shifts.

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Extreme heat events can also worsen mental health. A systematic review of heat and mental-health outcomes found the strongest evidence for more suicides at higher temperatures. Researchers also found more mental-health admissions and emergency visits during extreme heat events.

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A Philippines-focused paper links extreme heat events with poor sleep, irritability, exhaustion, and worsening psychiatric conditions.​ One global study found that temperature changes and extreme heat events were linked with higher autism symptoms, especially among boys and children in lower-income regions closer to the equator. 

 

Perhaps one of the most dramatic new discoveries showed that during Canada’s 2021 heat dome, 134 people with schizophrenia died in eight days. That is 8% of all deaths during that one event, although people with schizophrenia make up about 1% of the Canadian population. People living with schizophrenia are therefore three times more likely to die of extreme heat events than the rest of the population. An interview-based study found that people living with schizophrenia experience amplified symptoms like paranoia and hallucinations during extreme heat events.​

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The solution should begin where children spend much of their day: at school.

Schools serving children with autism, speech & language pathologies, and mental-health conditions should be first in line to adopt solutions such as our Heat Abatement Technology (HAT). The technology can reduce heat in a building by up to 30% without placing the full burden on costly air conditioning or weak power grids.​ 

HAT should be paired with safe drinking water, scheduled hydration, shaded rest areas, quiet cooling rooms, staff training, and regular checks for children who may not report symptoms. Schools should also measure indoor temperatures, attendance, heat illness, behavior, and participation before and after installation.​​​