If your peanut-allergic child is entering kindergarten or a new school next year, now is the time to start getting prepared. Having your meetings at the school before the current year ends, will help everyone get ready for your child's first day of school.
Schedule an appointment with your child's doctor to go over your child's allergy action plan. Request documentation of the peanut allergy, prescriptions, and any other materials you may need.
You will need to contact the school and should speak with both the principal and nurse. Schedule a meeting to discuss your child's needs and start developing safety procedures to help avoid exposure to the allergen.
The meeting may include the principal or administrative representative, nurse, food service director or staff member, classroom teachers and specialists, counselors, coaches and gym teacher, custodian, bus driver, attendants and aides. Anyone who will be in direct contact with the child should be encouraged to attend.
At the meeting, review the allergy action plan that was developed with your doctor. This will list the warning signs of an allergic reaction and steps to take in an emergency. Discuss how and where the medications will be stored and who will administer it in an emergency.
Parents will need to frequently communicate with the school nurse to make sure all the paperwork is in place before the first day of school. This will include providing forms from the child's doctor/allergist, along with any required medical forms from the school.
Make sure your child's medication is labeled, and keep a record of the expiration dates to know when it needs to be replaced. This may include the epinephrine auto-injectors (EpiPen, etc), Benadryl, and any other medications prescribed by the doctor/allergist.
The school will always need to have a current contact number to reach you in an emergency. Having a cell phone that's always with you, is a must. List any other numbers where you can be contacted, along with the numbers of any other family members that can be notified.
If you feel comfortable, offer to help the school with any training or educational materials you may have on peanut allergies. Find out when and how they train their staff, and how often they train/educate throughout the year.
Some important topics staff members will need to learn about: Recognizing the signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction, the administration of an EpiPen, creating a safe environment, label reading, proper cleaning of peanut residue and cross-contamination, and bullying.
Discuss setting up a peanut free zone in the cafeteria and the possibility of a food ban in the classroom. If treats are allowed in the classroom, purchase peanut-free snacks that can be stored and offered to your child when needed.
Don't hesitate to ask the school any questions you may have before your child's first day of school, or any day after.
Stacey has a M.A. in Education and focuses on creating a safer environment at school for children with peanut allergies. For more tips, products and resources to help increase peanut allergy awareness for your child, visit us at http://www.peanutfreezone.com/
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