School Guidelines for Food Allergy Management

Please see the attached assessment in conjunction w/ BJC. This is part of the
School Guidelines that will be developed soon. Kathleen needs these back by
the end of the week and e-mailed to her at: KMcDarby@bjc.org

Please take the time to fill these out as the results will affect all families
whose children have food allergies in the public school systems.

Please respond to KMcDarby (@) bjc.org
Kathleen McDarby, RN, MPH
Project Manager
SLCH Food Allergy ProgramFoodAllergyNeedsAssessmentParents2.doc

The Girl Behind Sabrina's Law

In 2005, a law requiring schools to develop anaphylaxis management plans was passed in Canada. It was the first of its kind and as food allergies continue to rise, it is an important piece of legislation that is often looked to as an example. Sabrina's Law, as it is referred to, is part of the food allergy community lexicon. Many a newsletter, bulletin and reference page will cite "Sabrina's Law."

Who is Sabrina? AllergyMoms reminds us that this important legislation is in place because of the remarkable efforts of the Shannon family. The heart-wrenching story of their daughter, Sabrina's untimely death from anaphylaxis was featured in Gina's newsletter earlier this year. One of the most poignant aspects of this story, one that continues to haunt me is hearing this vibrant girl's own voice and words as she talks about food allergies on her site, Sabrina's Story, created 2 years before her death.

More Safety Tips for Kids with Food Allergies at School

Apparently, I'm doing a 3-part series on food allergy management in schools! Actually, it's that time of year... time for another Check My Tag Bulletin. The Fall 2007 issue is devoted to "How to Keep Our Food-Allergic Friends Safe at School." For those of you who have not received this bulletin in the past, it's for teachers and caregivers in the hopes of raising the level of awareness for food allergies in schools. I was the crazy mom who had to make special arrangements for my kid and had to explain to other families that it was because of us (and the 30 other kids at the school) who could die from exposure to peanuts that they couldn't pack the PB&J's anymore. You do what you have to but it won't be one of the highlights of my life. So hopefully, I'm saving some newbies from having to go to the frontlines by spreading the word with preschool directors and school administrators. Here's the .pdf for downloading: BeAwareF07.pdf

Encourage your school to send it home via the ubiquitous "backpack express." Or, if you're not comfortable with that, have them send me a message and I can add them to our subscription list.

School Taking More Active Steps to Protect Food Allergy Kids

As children go back to school around the country, parents of kids with severe food allergies may take heart that more and more schools are taking this issue seriously.

Fox News reports that in Maine, Bangor High School is making its best effort to keep peanuts off school property to protect one freshman student with a severe peanut allergy. This policy is in adherence to federal guidelines regarding students with disabilities, for which some cases of food allergy qualify.

Public schools are required by law to make "reasonable accommodations and adjustments" for all students, according to Murray Shulman, director of pupil services for the city of Bangor.
Shulman continued to say, “While some people may question the need to adhere to ban on peanuts, the vast majority of parents understand that [allergies] are life-threatening circumstances, and they cooperate."

The state of New York has also taken steps to increase safety for our kids. The Allergy and Anaphylaxis Act was recently passed, through the lobbying of the Food Allergy Initiative. The new law requires 1) that schools food allergy management plans in place that outline the responsibilities of school nurses, 2) that training be provided to school personnel, 3) that individualized treatment plans be in place for children with food allergies, 4) that information regarding food allergies is collected and disseminated and, 5) that strategies to reduce the risk of accidental exposure be implemented.

This type of legislation, increasing around the country thanks to advocacy groups and concerned parents, is yet more proof that food allergies are affecting an alarmingly increasing rate of the population.

Back to School with Food Allergies

Back to school was so exciting for me as a kid. As a mom, not so much. As a mom of a kid with food allergies.. yuck, it's really the only word I can think of right now. This year, my son is attending a brand new preschool. Our previous one was truly a blessing, not only because there were 30 other kids with life-threatening allergies there but also because the director and teachers were awesome, even going out of their way to schedule a special allergy teacher training day before the school year started. (BTW, contact your local AAFA office to see if they have school training programs in your area!)

But being ever the optimist, I am really hopeful about our new preschool as well. It's small. And the teachers do a home visit with every new student to get cozy with the kids. I'm going to take that opportunity to give them the allergy training.

I know a lot of kids have already started and it's been weeks of prep work for many parents: scheduling appointments with allergists, updating epinephrine prescriptions, and developing an emergency action plan (EAP). The key element to a successful school year is clear communication between your family and your child's teachers and school administrators. This issue is what inspired our food allergy alert products. In fact, I scrambled to make sure his "tag shirts" (as he calls them), were ready before he started preschool at 20 months.

The EAP is a concise and organized way to address the critical issues regarding the care of your child. Feel free to download our free EAP and use it as a starting point.

Lynda Mitchell at Kids with Food Allergies also provides some helpful tips for first-timers (and great reminders for us veterans), above and beyond the EAP:

• Make sure there is no food sharing;
• Have the child sit a safe distance away from children eating allergenic foods;
• Make sure the child is easily observable by a teacher during snack and meal times;
• Have children wash hands before and after eating;
• Make sure school personnel are trained on recognizing a reaction and
administering medication like injectable epinephrine;
• Enlist your child's friends to learn the signs of a reaction and how to help.