SAFE ES FOR SEVERE ALLERGIC ASTHMA AND FOOD ALLERGIES?

[Anonymous]

I don't understand the constant bringing of food into the classroom - cupcakes for birthday parties and other stuff. They never did that when I was a kid, I see no reason for them to be doing that. That alone would greatly reduce potential exposure to food allergens.

[Anonymous]

I'm 40 and we celebrated birthdays and events in school when I was a child with homemade goodies so its not something new. The amount of childhood allergies is new. I feel for those who have to worry about their child's allergies.

[Anonymous]

NP here. It's tough but it can be done unless your child is so sensitive that he /she needs to live in a bubble. Our DC had multiple severe food allergies and asthma, and managed to get through a small private elementary school fine. It required two things (besides tuition -- which I realize may be a problem): (1) a relatively cooperative school; and (2) parents who would not take no for answers. For example -- my wife would insist on meeting with the teachers before the school year began to personally train them on the signs of an allergic reaction and what to do; she would try most years to also meet with other suport staff -- sometimes allowed and sometimes not. We forged a strong working partnership with the schoool nurse. We would have the teacher forward an email from us each year before school began explaining the food allergies of our DC and asking nicely if they would please email us a few days ahead of time if they were planning to send in any food for a party so that we can arrange to have a suitable substitute treat for our DC; we kept a supply of safe cookies, cupcakes and even frozen treats at the school set aside for DC. When teachers plan to use food as rewards /prizes for school games/contests in th eclassroom, they need to have a suitable optoin fo rthe allergic child. In our DC's case, for example, starbursts candies were safe, but most other candies were not, so eventually teachers realized what they could and could not use. I won't say there weren't times where a teacher or a classmates parent would forget or just , rarely, wouldn't cooperate, but overall it worked out fairly well. It is a lot of work, but you can do it.

[Anonymous]

17:58 again. OP, please accept my apologies I had not seen your earlier post re needing to drink formula or tube feed. That one's tough, but I would wonder if a modified version of what we did above would still work somewhat. In other words, if there is an activity in school where other children get food rewards, have some small non food prizes (decorations, mini superballs, etc.) available for your son. Eventually, maybe the teachers would move away from food and more toward other things. This may be a stupid question, but if he can drink formula are there different flavors of formula so that some seem more like a treat than others? Or if the flavor cannot be changed would h ebe allergic to just adding food coloring so he could have a drink that is more festive during a birthday party? Ultimately, we found that our child's friends became DC's best advocates for safety over the years and fully accpeted and understood her allergies in the later elementary school years, so that's not far off for your son. I would fight homeschooling unless absolutely necessary. Our kids are very different b/c of their food allergies to begin with -- the last thing I would have wanted is to deny my child more opportunities for friends and socialization because DC's food allergies. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Ugh, don't know why so many schools have rabbits, hamster etc. so annoying![/quote]

Because the vast majority of kids don't have life threatening allergies to these creatures, they enjoy them, it offers an opportunity to learn about and how to care for pets.
[/quote]

Many kids may not die after contact with animals, but they will wheeze, have runny noses, wake up that night not being able to breathe, etc. that is reason enough to keep animals out of school.

[Anonymous]

Does your child have an IEP? I think (but I'm not sure) you can have an IEP for strictly health reasons.

OP, your child is entitled to a free public education in the least restrictive environment possible. You are very impressive in your search for the best school possible, but may I suggest a different approach? What if you pick the school that is best for you otherwise (ie, all the other factors we all consider, like curriculum, atmosphere, commute, yada yada) and work with the school to make sure your child's needs (within reason) are met?

You may want to start with the Parent Resource Center (which can have a slightly different name in each district). Their job is to help parents of special-needs children learn to advocate for their kids within the school system.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Does your child have an IEP? I think (but I'm not sure) you can have an IEP for strictly health reasons.

OP, your child is entitled to a free public education in the least restrictive environment possible. You are very impressive in your search for the best school possible, but may I suggest a different approach? What if you pick the school that is best for you otherwise (ie, all the other factors we all consider, like curriculum, atmosphere, commute, yada yada) and work with the school to make sure your child's needs (within reason) are met?

You may want to start with the Parent Resource Center (which can have a slightly different name in each district). Their job is to help parents of special-needs children learn to advocate for their kids within the school system.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Not an IEP. Ask about a 504 plan for allergies.

[Anonymous]

There's just going to be too much pet dander dragged in on the other children, especially in the winter with coats and jackets. I have a friend who has kids with this problem, and they tried school but ended up homeschooling, which doesn't mean they sit at home all day. They take classes outside the home, but with the shorter time periods and the ability to choose locations it works out fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP- My DS CAN attend school safely and does not need to be homeschooled. Unlike many parents with children having far fewer allergies than my DS, I do not require a whole school to be peanut free, or try to restrict bday parties to no cupcakes or pizza just because my DS can not participate in those events.

DCs who are allergic to all foods typically drink formula or have a G-tube to inject formula into it. There are many children with my DSs condition.

OP, as a parent of a child with a 504 for severe allergies, although far less severe than yours, I think you're going to need to articulate pretty clearly what you think your child needs. What are some services and accommodations that you think would make it safe for him to participate. Maybe think outside the box and describe your "ideal" and then let people problem solve backwards from there.

For example, would he be safer in a classroom with desks instead of tables so he can get some separation?

Would he be safer if he sat on the end of a row, with a child who didn't own any pets (perhaps a child with a milder allergy) between him and the next kid to act as a buffer?

Would he be safer if the school allowed you to specify the cleaning supplies used in his classroom?

Would it help if all kids washed their hands before entering the room?

Knowing what kinds of things work might help us figure out which schools have shown themselves to be flexible in that way.