5 Key Steps Before You Send Your Food Allergic Child to School
Updated November 07, 2014.
Can you hear the school bell? It will be ringing soon, calling children through the halls to their classrooms. School is right around the corner, and with it brings back-to-school shopping, school supplies and lunch packing. If you are a family with food allergies, you have a few more steps to take to prepare your child for a safe transition to school.
Nearly 6 million children have a food allergy, and many of them attend school. School is a 7-hour day, and a long time away from the home front where food is safe, and controlled. Families with food allergies may experience fear and anticipation around sending their child off to school for a lengthy day. The classroom, the cafeteria, and even the playground can pose more exposure to food allergens than your child might experience on a regular basis at home.
Preparing your child for school is the key to keeping him safe, and free from allergic reaction. Aside from planning allergen-free food for lunches and snacks for the classroom, there are a few other fundamental tasks to complete before your child heads off to school. Take these 5 key steps before your child even steps in the classroom!
Most schools require an annual physical before your child can go back to school for the upcoming year. Make use of your summer free time to schedule an appointment with your pediatrician, family doctor or allergist. Then, you can discuss your child’s health, his growth and development, and review his food allergy and the plan for managing it at school.
If your child has grown, which is likely, his medication dosage may have changed. Medications are prescribed based on body weight, so as your child grows, his medication dose may increase. For example, he may need to transition from a junior-dose to an adult-dose for epinephrine. His dose of antihistamine or other medications may change as well. Make sure you get an updated prescription from your doctor, and review the dates on current medications you have at home. Even if you have an unopened package of antihistamine, if it has expired, you need to replace it.
This is a plan that is outlined specifically for your child, under your doctor’s guidance, which details what action to take if your child accidentally ingests a food allergen or has symptoms of an allergic reaction. For some children, step one might be to observe the child, or to immediately administer antihistamine, or even to inject epinephrine. Every child will be different, based on his food allergy, past allergic reactions, and risk for anaphylaxis. I believe this is an essential part of your child’s food allergy management at school, and should be completed by your physician and turned in to the school before the year begins. If your school does not require a food allergy action plan (or doesn't have one or doesn't know about them), I encourage you to complete one for your child anyway and give it to the school. You can find a sample form at at this link.
Before your child walks through the front doors of school, you should meet the school nurse, or the person who is in charge of attending to children who are sick at school. The nurse will be your ally in keeping your child safe and healthy at school, and communicating your child's allergy needs. She will also be another eye on your child, particularly after an illness or adverse reaction, as your child assimilates back into school. Review the food allergy action plan with her (or him) and note where your child’s medications will be kept.
The teacher is your number one friend when it comes to your child’s food allergy at school. Not only will she see your child everyday, she will spearhead the management of food coming in and out of the classroom. She will communicate with other teachers your child may have, like the physical education teacher, and she will play a big role in regulating the tone and manner of the classroom with regards to respect and consideration for your child’s food allergy. Keeping a positive, supportive and communicative relationship with your child’s teacher is of utmost importance to the safety of your child. Give the teacher your support, if needed. Offer to bring in back up snacks for your child, to volunteer for parties, to offer a classroom snack, and to help make the classroom safer for your child, whatever that may entail. Your child will only benefit if you have a good relationship with his teacher.
Can you hear the school bell? It will be ringing soon, calling children through the halls to their classrooms. School is right around the corner, and with it brings back-to-school shopping, school supplies and lunch packing. If you are a family with food allergies, you have a few more steps to take to prepare your child for a safe transition to school.
Nearly 6 million children have a food allergy, and many of them attend school. School is a 7-hour day, and a long time away from the home front where food is safe, and controlled. Families with food allergies may experience fear and anticipation around sending their child off to school for a lengthy day. The classroom, the cafeteria, and even the playground can pose more exposure to food allergens than your child might experience on a regular basis at home.
Preparing your child for school is the key to keeping him safe, and free from allergic reaction. Aside from planning allergen-free food for lunches and snacks for the classroom, there are a few other fundamental tasks to complete before your child heads off to school. Take these 5 key steps before your child even steps in the classroom!
1. Get a physical exam
Most schools require an annual physical before your child can go back to school for the upcoming year. Make use of your summer free time to schedule an appointment with your pediatrician, family doctor or allergist. Then, you can discuss your child’s health, his growth and development, and review his food allergy and the plan for managing it at school.
2. Review, renew and obtain prescription medication
If your child has grown, which is likely, his medication dosage may have changed. Medications are prescribed based on body weight, so as your child grows, his medication dose may increase. For example, he may need to transition from a junior-dose to an adult-dose for epinephrine. His dose of antihistamine or other medications may change as well. Make sure you get an updated prescription from your doctor, and review the dates on current medications you have at home. Even if you have an unopened package of antihistamine, if it has expired, you need to replace it.
3. Complete a Food Allergy Action Plan
This is a plan that is outlined specifically for your child, under your doctor’s guidance, which details what action to take if your child accidentally ingests a food allergen or has symptoms of an allergic reaction. For some children, step one might be to observe the child, or to immediately administer antihistamine, or even to inject epinephrine. Every child will be different, based on his food allergy, past allergic reactions, and risk for anaphylaxis. I believe this is an essential part of your child’s food allergy management at school, and should be completed by your physician and turned in to the school before the year begins. If your school does not require a food allergy action plan (or doesn't have one or doesn't know about them), I encourage you to complete one for your child anyway and give it to the school. You can find a sample form at at this link.
4. Meet the school nurse
Before your child walks through the front doors of school, you should meet the school nurse, or the person who is in charge of attending to children who are sick at school. The nurse will be your ally in keeping your child safe and healthy at school, and communicating your child's allergy needs. She will also be another eye on your child, particularly after an illness or adverse reaction, as your child assimilates back into school. Review the food allergy action plan with her (or him) and note where your child’s medications will be kept.
5. Meet the teacher
The teacher is your number one friend when it comes to your child’s food allergy at school. Not only will she see your child everyday, she will spearhead the management of food coming in and out of the classroom. She will communicate with other teachers your child may have, like the physical education teacher, and she will play a big role in regulating the tone and manner of the classroom with regards to respect and consideration for your child’s food allergy. Keeping a positive, supportive and communicative relationship with your child’s teacher is of utmost importance to the safety of your child. Give the teacher your support, if needed. Offer to bring in back up snacks for your child, to volunteer for parties, to offer a classroom snack, and to help make the classroom safer for your child, whatever that may entail. Your child will only benefit if you have a good relationship with his teacher.
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