As we welcome in August, teachers across the U.S. are headed back to prep for the coming school year. That signals kickoff of back to school shopping but also fresh worries for parents about food allergies. Over the last few years, schools have become more responsive to the increasing numbers of children with food allergies, but it remains important for parents to meet with teachers and administrators ahead of time to prepare. Here are few simple points to go over before the new school year begins.
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- Recognize Triggers – Recognizing the situation and diagnosing the problem is the first step. What is the child allergic to? What are the symptoms? What are some common sources of this allergen?
- Lunch Time – Will the school lunch be acceptable? If not, what about trading stuff from a sack lunch? Since as of right now there are no overarching laws or guidelines to govern food allergies in schools, much is left to the local district and even the individual school administrators. So inquire as to what steps they have taken. In some local Atlanta school districts administrators have designated peanut-free tables at lunch.
- Notifying Staff – Typically, you would want the teachers, administrators, lunch room personnel, and school nurse to be aware of the allergy and the situation. At different points throughout the school day it would be important for these staff members to be aware.
Worst Case Scenario – Set a Plan of Action. Time is critical, particularly when it involves anaphylaxis, so it is crucial to have a plan of action already in place in case of emergencies. What is the problem? What action should be taken? Who should or is trained to administer medication? Who needs to be notified?
- Auto-Injectors and Emergency Numbers – Does the school provide emergency epinephrine? Who can administer epinephrine? Who should be called? What other types of drugs can or should be administered (like antihistamines, bronchodilators, etc.)? Again, as of now, many of these things are handled by the individual school, so as far as administering the drug, ask if the teacher/nurse/emergency care provider will be trained and if the school stocks additional auto injectors (as over 1/3 of all cases that require epinephrine often require a second dose). Though Congress is acting to provide more support for food allergies in schools, many schools do not currently stock epinephrine for cases when a second dose is required or where the allergic response is the first of its kind for the student.
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_Some advocacy groups offer in-service training for teachers and administrators by trained professionals. A growing number of schools and some online resources also offer a plan of action form that includes triggers, what to do, who to contact, etc. that help to simplify the process in the event of an emergency. And there are a variety of checklist-style resources available that help fill in some of the blanks if this process is new to you.
_All of these questions should be addressed and answered prior to the start of the school year. In the most severe cases of food allergies, minutes can literally determine the fate of a child, and having a plan of action in place can make difference between immediate action and a slow, uncertain response to an emergency.
_For additional tips on managing allergies at home or ways to reduce particle allergies and eczema at home.
_Author: Kevin Gilmore