Starting school with a peanut allergy
If your peanut-allergic child will be entering kindergarten or a new school next year, now is the time to start preparing. By contacting your child’s school before the end of the current year, you can help everyone prepare for the first day of school.
Please contact the school for all required medical documentation. Make an appointment with your child’s allergist to review your child’s allergy action plan and school medical forms. Ask for peanut allergy documentation, prescriptions, and any other supplies you may need.
If you have not reported to your child’s school, please call to speak with the principal and nurse. Schedule a meeting to discuss your child’s needs and discuss/develop safety procedures to help prevent 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, aides 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 the steps to take in an emergency. Discuss how and where medications will be stored and who will administer them in an emergency.
Parents should check in frequently with the school nurse to make sure all paperwork is ready before the first day of school. Make sure your child’s medicine is labeled and keep track of expiration dates so you know when she needs to replace it. This may include epinephrine auto-injectors (EpiPens, etc.), Benadryl, and any other medications prescribed by your doctor/allergist.
The school will always need to have a current contact number to reach you in an emergency. Having a cell phone that is always with you is a must. Please list any other numbers where you may be contacted, along with the numbers of any other family members who may be notified.
If you feel comfortable, offer to help the school with any training or educational materials you may have about 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: recognizing the signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction, administering an EpiPen, creating a safe environment, reading labels, proper cleanup of peanut residue and contamination crusade, and bullying.
Discuss the creation of 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.
Once you meet your child’s teacher, begin to build a relationship with him. Find out how you can best help them during the school year. Keep in constant communication with them and even send a couple of thank you cards to let them know how much you appreciate their concern for your child’s safety and well-being.
Lastly, please feel free to ask any questions you have at the school before your child’s first day of school or any day after.