HOW TO HANDLE ALLERGIES AT SCHOOL

When your child heads to school in the morning, you hope nothing will get in their way of learning and having fun–including their allergies. If your child suffers from allergies, you can help them avoid problems in the future (see this article for more on this topic). But what can you do when your child has bad allergies at school and you’re not there to help? Here are some things you can do to best prepare for that event.

GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE WHO CAN HELP

Make sure you’ve had a conversation with the nurses, teachers, or principal, and let them know about your child’s allergies. Parents are typically required to fill out paperwork about their child’s health conditions. When filling this out, get detailed about their allergies, and be specific about what to do in the case of an allergy attack.

HAVE AN ACTION PLAN

Write out a bulleted action plan for when your child has an allergy attack. This need not be long–just make sure the information is to-the-point and gives instructions for the scenarios you envision. A great resource for an action plan is a Quick Allergy Card.¹ These are customized cards created by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America that allow others to keep your child’s allergy information close-at-hand.

GET INVOLVED

Volunteering at your child’s school will help you really get a sense of their day-to-day experience. You can use the opportunity to “investigate” possible triggers for allergy symptoms. You will also develop closer relationships with the school personnel who might be witness to symptoms–gym teachers, nurses, even the janitor. The more eyes you have on your child during the day, the faster they’ll get help in case symptoms appear.

PROVIDE MEDICATIONS

If your child takes an allergy medicine like FLONASE® Allergy Relief, make sure it’s properly labeled, in a secure place, and isn’t expired.

Sources:
1. Hirsch, L. (2014, March 1). All About Allergies. (n.d.). Retrieved March 26, 2015. http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/allergies/allergy.html