My journey to a nut free school was a two year process. I had heard how the school was handling food allergies and was told that they could not make changes at the school level, so I began to work with the District. After numerous phone calls and emails I finally sent one that stating that even if I moved to another district, this problem is not going away and shared a story of another school who had handled food allergies the same way and lost a lawsuit when sued. Now the phone rang "don't move yet, do you have a copy of that lawsuit?" And from there the dialog began. (I will try to find that lawsuit again and post)
Helpful Food Allergy School Support and Safety Tips
Simple food allergy school safety tips.
My children have 504 Plans. A 504 falls under civil-rights laws, is an attempt to remove barriers and allow students with disabilities to participate freely; like the Americans With Disabilities Act, it seeks to level the playing field so that those students can safely pursue the same opportunities as everyone else. If the school receives federal funding and is uncooperative, parents can use Section 504 to apply some pressure.
A food allergic child is eligible for protection under Section 504 as a food allergy does not affect educational performance, but a child with severe food allergies has a condition that affects the respiratory, digestive, cardiovascular and skin body systems. The physical impairment of food allergy could substantially limit breathing during an anaphylactic reaction. In addition, the U.S. Office for Civil Rights U.S., Department of Education formally recognizes “allergy” as a “hidden disability.” “Hidden disabilities are physical or mental impairments that are not readily apparent to others.
I remember learning the term "Hidden Disabilities" when the Superintendent called. He had said his son had one and that it is a tough battle to fight because people don't want to believe it. He was right!
The U.S. Department of Education has a great page on Civil Rights detailing your protection under Section 504.
This article provide some very basic steps to prepare for your meeting with school officials. How to Create a 504 Plan for a Child With Food Allergies. I was very fortunate, my Dr. advocates eliminating as much risk as possible, so I wrote a letter advocating for a peanut free environment on his behalf, and he signed it. Don't get me wrong, moving the school in the direction of a peanut free environment was no easy task. It took two years working and educating administrators at the district level on the dangers of for peanut allergic children.
Note: Schools must comply with Section 504 as a prerequisite for receiving federal funds. Failure to provide an appropriate public education is a violation of a student's civil rights and can jeopardize the school's federal funding.
It is important to know that children with food allergies are protected.
In the Wicked Local Dedham, Posted Feb 18, 2011 Dr. Michael Young, author of “Peanut Allergy Answer Book,” stated that “About 20 to 25 percent of reactions happen for the first time in school, so schools need to be prepared,” He then confirmed that anaphylactic reactions to foods like milk, eggs and peanuts commonly occur within minutes of exposure. “The absence of hives or a skin rash should not rule out that this is anaphylaxis requiring epinephrine.” Young presented a variety of detailed case studies, most revealing that fatalities in school-aged children from allergic reactions were associated with the failure to administer epinephrine immediately after exposure. his is a frightening statistic and one which has made me more passionate are food allergy education and awareness in the schools.
It is like a play. You spend hours in dress rehearsal training people, reading labels, preparing foods so that when your food allergic child arrives for the show they have a “normal experience” with everyone else.
The idea of your child beginning school and being away from you is difficult for any parent. Add the fact that your child has food allergies and the anxiety can be overwhelming. Your child is protected by laws and there is support!
The below information is a work in progress but I thought I would begin somewhere and continue to update. There is so much information I hope when it is complete it will provide some answers and guidance for parents preparing their food allergic child for school.
Feel good about the legal process. You should, however, I hate to say this, Section 504 WILL NOT keep your child safe. It helps implement policies and plans however it is now up to you to follow through on the execution. This process takes TIME, patience and perseverance. You now have the schools attention with “legal” documentation. This does not mean anyone truly understands the vigilance that will be necessary to provide a safe environment for food allergic children. It’s up to you. EDUCATION, EDUCATION, and more EDUCATION. This will generate the awareness and hopefully questions. It is imperative that all faculty and staff who will be working with your child are trained on Epi-Pens and understand the symptoms of an allergic reaction. This goes back to the first paragraph and statistic from Dr. Wood. “About 20 to 25 percent of reactions happen for the first time in school, so schools need to be prepared,” This is too high a statistic!
MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON! CHECK BACK NEXT WEEK!
Education . Preparation . Awareness
