Sending Students to School with Allergies – Safely

by Jodie Hommer, Food Allergy Support Network

One in 13 children has a food allergy. Now that students are back in school, parents can prepare their children to deal with food allergies and the life threatening form called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis can lead to death if not treated promptly with a child’s life-saving medication called epinephrine.

There are things every parent can do to prepare their children, even if you don’t know they have a food allergy.

First, children with anaphylaxis are entitled to a plan outlining accommodations and modifications allowing them to participate in a safe and inclusive environment. These plans outline preventative measures to ensure children’s safety throughout their school day to prevent anaphylaxis from occurring. For example, the plans can remove food as a counting tool, using counting blocks instead.

It is not uncommon that school districts are not aware that children with anaphylaxis qualify for such a plan. Make sure to educate yourself and educate those around you.

Second, if you know your child has a serious allergy, make sure you have medication orders in place and signed by a Board Certified Allergist who specializes in allergies and immunology. In some cases, one injection may not be enough, so make sure your child has more than one epinephrine auto-injector at all times.

Having medication stored and locked away from the student is not good enough. The child has a right to have their life-saving medications with them at all times.

Not every child is ready to self-carry their medications, so you will want to make sure someone at the school is trained on how to administer an epinephrine auto-injector.

Finally, schools need to be prepared to treat children whose allergies are unknown.

Approximately 20-25 percent of epinephrine administrations in schools involve individuals whose allergy was unknown at the time of the reaction. The problem for schools, however, is that epinephrine is a prescribed medication, and current state law prohibits schools from having anaphylaxis treatments on hand for children without a specific allergy diagnosis. Prescriptions require a known allergy, so doctors can’t prescribe epinephrine injectors for schools to simply to have on hand in case they are needed.

When a child with an unknown allergy has a reaction, the best that school staff can do is call 9-1-1 and wait. Not all emergency personnel carry epinephrine on board. Not all emergency personnel who carry it on board can get there in time. Earlier this year, the legislature considered a bill to allow schools to carry epinephrine injectors for those students without a known allergy. Unfortunately, the bill did not pass. It is, however, likely to be reconsidered next year.

Anaphylaxis can be sudden and fatal, but as the mother of two children with anaphylactic food allergies, I know it can be managed and your child can live a happy life. If you suspect food allergies, you can easily get your child tested. You can take reasonable steps to ensure your child is safe and healthy, while still allowing them to feel the joy of being a child and exploring new things.

With all of the challenges of going back to school, this can seem like just one more thing to worry about. But the beginning of the year is the best time to understand that you can take control, keep your child safe and make sure the school year is a happy one.