I think someone recently posted about having spasms. It seemed like an allergy but it wasn't. On another note, I did get treated as if I had acid reflux and was put on Rx meds (this was years and years ago) for it. Turns out no, I do not have acid reflux. The symptoms were due to my food allergies. Has he been checked for EoE? http://www.gikids.org/content/5/en/eosinophilic-esophagitis Recently I developed a dairy allergy. It was tough because I have a history of lactose intolerance so at first I thought my digestion issues were from that. I had been tested for a dairy allergy years ago and was negative and never (aside from occasional issues resolved by lactaid) had any problems. But last year I had both digestion and breathing issues with dairy. I knew it had to be more than intolerance because that has never caused me to need my inhaler before. Sure enough, after three tests and eliminating it, we figured it is a true dairy allergy. (Not saying your child has dairy issues -- just relating that I had an allergy that had similar symptoms. As an aside, I do test positive for chicken allergy as well.) I hear you on the Epi issue. I agree about the ER comment. When I went in to our local ER, it was the EMT, not the doctor that really made a difference. I've chatted a bit with my allergist about it -- feeling like I'll be branded as an aggressive hysterical mom if I ever administer. It's hard.

Again this last part about testing is not to you since you are resisting it -- but it's for anyone else on the fence about testing or is interested in info or why people with the same allergy seem to have different restrictions. Yes, it is imperfect. I was glad to get tested and have (mostly) conclusive negatives on a few things -- it saved me the time and concern about several foods. With some allergens, if someone has a positive skin test, the Immunocap can be extremely helpful in determining if the allergen is to a heat labile or stable protein or if it is to a protein that is more associated with cross-reactions. (In practical terms, I could have discovered someone was only allergic to ara h8 or 9 and that would have made a big difference in food restrictions and how we would handle school, if we weren't homeschooling.) The links here focus on peanut because it is more common and what people tend to think of first with food allergies but it has some good general information about why numbers don't necessarily predict reactions. Another section mentions a situation I'm in -- history of reactions to a food (not peanut), positive blood and RAST, negative Immunocap so we're doing more to figure it all out. http://www.phadia.com/en/Products/Allergy-testing-products/ImmunoCAP-Molecular-Allergology/Peanut-Allergy/ http://www.pediatricsconsultant360.com/article/peanut-allergy-diagnosis-simple-ara-h-1-2-and-3 http://www.carolinaasthma.com/news/so-someone-in-your-family-has-peanut-allergy/ http://www.foodallergy.org/diagnosis-and-testing/oral-food-challenge http://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/library/allergy-library/oral-food-challenge.aspx

I'm agreeing with what has been said. And I know your reactions may be completely different from mine but it reminds me of before my anaphylactic reactions. I didn't itch, and I thought if I just avoided things that seemed to cause issues, I would be fine. All my reactions were at home, to things I had prepared myself. I am very lucky on my last one (to a rare allergen, so I had never been tested or thought of it as a possibility) that by that time I had already seen my doctor and had an Epi AND I had someone with me who knew how to administer. Now, I am never sure about food. Based on my history, I just never know even if I've avoided everything that I know to avoid. That is why I'm glad I have my doctor's advice and emergency plan. (And I will say, in my area anyway, having a written plan on me so that we had it at the ER was important.) But I know, it is rare, and I'm not at all saying you will have severe reactions. I'm just echoing the concern for you. Anyway, glad you are going to see your NP and hope your neighbor will let up. Food issues are hard enough!

Those of you who like your Shark -- which one? I thought about one for a relative who only need it for three smaller rooms in their house. I wonder if the Light and Easy would be enough for their home.

I'm sorry your neighbor is being a pain. I agree --your neighbor should not be in your business. Especially if you've told the neighbor to stop. And I hear you on the cost. With our new insurance last year, it was only $14 more expensive to go to our long-time allergist as a cash patient because our insurance wasn't going to cover much even if we stayed in network. Paying OOP was not fun. (We see ours regularly for Rx refills. she monitors my asthma and related stuff, and because I had more allergies develop. Also, one of my kids seems to be outgrowing some environmental allergies so we are going back for further testing on that and to see if any related food allergies have gotten better.) I'm relieved to be back on an insurance next year that will cover most of the cost. But if you told me exactly what you posted, I'd have a hard time not saying something. The "throat swells and I feel like I have something in it" comment makes me wonder, especially because you said no itching. That's what was happening to me and it turned out to be a very severe allergy. My least severe allergies are the itchy ones -- mild OAS from fresh fruits or veggies. Of course, that's just me and I wouldn't presume you would have similar reactions the way mine progressed. But with the unpredictable nature of allergies, you never know what the next reaction will be like. So I'd be concerned if you don't have epinephrine (and I don't know if you do). Allergies can be very unpredictable. Again, I am not defending your neighbor overstepping at all. I'm just remembering years ago when I knew less about allergies. I didn't know that the no itching thing could still mean I had some big problems ahead. My first serious reaction -- no itching. I've had four bad reactions that I remember where there was no itching, just one severe one where I had some itching. (Different foods I didn't know I was allergic to -- I'm not that bad at avoiding known allergens!) Regarding testing -- just for general info, not to you specifically because we disagree about testing (I think it is easier, though yes, it can be expensive) -- sure, it has a long way to go and it can show a lot of false positives. Negatives, on skin tests, however, are reliable unless the testing went wrong. Positives should lead a good allergist to go over food history again and consider blood testing (Immunocap is available for some allergens) and supervised challenges if they can. It can take some time to find an allergist that is up to date. ETA: Just adding some links, again, just for general information in case anyone is curious about some testing research: http://allergicliving.com/2015/04/16/blood-test-predicts-food-allergy-and-severity/ http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(14)00728-3/abstract All that said, I've learned to never say anything about it to someone during IRL conversation. (Here, you can ignore me :), especially if this was supposed to be a JAWM). If you were my neighbor, I'd keep my mouth shut.)

In the FAQ section they explain why some courses are not included. Even with what is available so far, it looks worth it. But you can see ahead what is included to be sure it would be worthwhile for what you want.

Just coming back to put in the links for the things I mentioned in case anyone is interested: Child Nutrition and Cooking on YouTube or Coursera Good and Cheap cookbook download Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything: The Basics or here is an example of his writing on the food industry if you ever cover that sort of thing One of my kids just loved this book: French Cooking in 10 Minutes or Less by Edouard de Pomiane. It's old but the writing is lovely. An example of a King Arthur tutorial on video (pie crust) or from their website or blog. I have chatted and emailed with them and they are very helpful. For some other how-to basics, which can be found anywhere -- here's some from the Simply Recipes blog. For food safety, here is a page from Kidshealth.org on Food Safety. ( But it is from the teen section.) And their site about food poisoning. And not necessarily for general interest, but for us, we teach about food allergies vs. intolerances vs conditions such as Celiac.

Already some great suggestions but maybe these might help, too. There is a free Child nutrition and cooking course on Coursera for parents. Might be too basic for what you want but she does some demos where she cooks and bakes without being too confined to a recipe. I don't know if it is what you are looking for - - but she talks about building flavors, working with what you have rather than what a recipe calls for, and being flexible. Not a lot as far as the other stuff you mentioned though (safety and hygiene, though it is discussed). For some reason I can't link it but the videos are both on Coursera and on YouTube (search for Maya Adam Child Nutrition and Cooking course videos.) The free Good and Cheap PDF download (or you can buy or borrow a print copy) has some recipes that are flexible too. One of kids liked a basic book by Mark Bittman. Some good recipes along with info on equipping a kitchen/pantry. Oh and for that child, America's Test Kitchen and Alton Brown episodes were fun. You didn't mention if you were getting into baking but one of my kids was very interested in early on. I prefer to use a scale. I learned a lot of baking from King Arthur Flour tutorials on their website and follow how they measure. It isn't necessary - - my mom is an excellent baker but never uses a scale. Back to cooking, the first thing I had mine do was make basic salad dressings and use a Zyliss lettuce knife to help prep salads before moving on.

I contacted them repeatedly after receiving the wrong pajamas a couple years ago. It never was resolved and they were so cheap (and the ones they say we're actually usuable) that I didn't pursue it further. But I had never ordered from them before and am not inclined to try again online. I don't live near many department stores but we happen to have one sort of nearby and I have never found a reason to go in.

I don't know about church potlucks but I can imagine the generational issue that was mentioned. If my grandmothers were still alive, it would have been difficult. And we had good relationships. One of them simply would not have understood the science of food allergies. The other was highly educated but she had a quirk about food and was not happy if people didn't eat seconds at her table. Flat out skipping a dish was not an option. Some older relatives still definitely have that "clean your plate, there are starving kids out there" or "eat what your given and be respectful" attitude that doesn't make allowances for allergies or special diets. When I was young, I had some extreme issues with food, not allergy related. I was forced to eat things (not by my parents, but an adult) and would throw up. I have been teased a lot about what I eat or had people comment on it at work or social events. That is why my wish is to be allowed to bring my own food with no commentary or attention. I have also visited people from a culture that felt refusal of food was an insult. I actually had a severe reaction in front of them and it still was a puzzle to them. I don't blame them. They had some good reasons to wonder why their food was making me sick. It just didn't make sense to them.

When I was merely lactose intolerant, nothing had to be done for me. I was able to tolerate dairy if I took supplements, as long as I remembered to bring them. Not a huge deal and I don't think I ever told anyone outside my family that I was intolerant. When we had a wheat allergy (mild, was outgrown in toddlerhood) in the family, again it was easy because it wasn't severe as celiac and I really appreciated someone in my family learning to bake GF for that time period. We didn't have to worry about cc from their kitchen. But now there's a big list of foods I can't have and I've been through anaphylactic reactions. Too difficult, so I am happy to bring my own. I had a hard time visiting someone because she constantly was searching the cupboards and asking for recipes to make for me. Just couldn't get the message through -- I'm happiest to just bring my own. If you must, make me a bowl of plain rice and I'll eat that. No, it had to be more. I kept hearing how hard it is to have someone over and not to be able to cook for them. I understand, but what can I say? I don't feel badly that I'm eating my own food. I mean, I do miss out on my favorites at family holidays and it's a little sad, but it's safer to let me bring my own at a friend's house and I don't consider her rude or a failure for not being able to cook for me. I can barely cook for myself! We're invited to a potluck. I noticed the invitation said to label the foods if they have nuts or peanuts. I'm not sure who asked for that because most people I know with severe nut/peanut allergies don't eat baked goods at potlucks even if they are labeled. I'm letting the host know that we're bringing a dish to share but not to include me or my allergic child in the head count because the two of us will be eating our own food.

At my house, I would ask but am secretly relieved if the person offers to bring their own food if they have severe restrictions. I have a hard enough time cooking for myself that cooking for other diets (unless they happen to match my own restrictions) is stressful. I'm not someone that enjoys cooking, meal planning, shopping for food, or anything related to the kitchen. I appreciate, though, that some people find it simple to accommodate and think it is wonderful they would do so. And, if hosting, I'd be honest that I can't guarantee my stuff would be safe for celiac or someone with an extreme allergy to dairy even though I do know how to cook GF or DF. But I also think if someone needed that sort of restriction and wasn't just GF or mildly allergic or intolerant, they would be happy to bring their own anyway. As a guest, please, please, please just let me bring my own food. Please don't talk about it beyond a sympathetic word or two. And understand, it's so different. Some people can tolerate cross contamination. Some people really will die from it. Let the allergic be the judge of what is safe and what isn't. And just because you know that one person who fakes allergies doesn't mean I'm just faking. It's not a fad diet. I really can't eat that. Also, It's nothing personal if I don't eat your food. I say that with sympathy because I was raised by people who believed food=love and rejecting food was a rejection of love. Even knowing and believing in my allergies, it took time to not feel hurt that I couldn't eat their stuff anymore. It should go without saying that showing up to a dinner party and suddenly making a big deal about being allergic and not being able to eat a bite would be rude.

I'm so sorry. I'd check with an agent, too. Not something I have done, but if I were in a different state, I'd consider it. I don't think this will help you , but when we checked healthcare. gov site, just to see plans and prices (before applying) both this year and last year, we just couldn't get an accurate estimate. For some, it may be worth checking here: http://kff.org/wp-content/themes/vip/kff/static/subsidy-calculator-widget.html For us, we got very different, more accurate numbers. (Not more affordable numbers, though.) I'm not saying that the govt. site are wrong or inaccurate for a lot of people. Just for us, in our state, every time I use both, the kff.org calculator comes out close to what we end up paying.

I've used Coastal and Zenni. Dh's glasses from Coastal are still in good shape and it's been at least two years. We didn't have good luck with their kids' frames but they were so cheap and I wasn't surprised since they weren't treated with great care. Mine from Zenni are fine. Not beautiful but for the price, I'm happy and I can see. I have had such trouble getting fitted in person that I expected it would be a disaster. This is the best fit I've had in years.

Our dinner is non-traditional (no turkey) but our desserts are typical Thanksgiving recipes. It varies but we usually do: Lots of butter pie crusts (King Arthur) Pumpkin Pie (King Arthur) Snow Ghost Pie For my mom's side, and I usually make vanilla ice cream to go with it: Plimoth Plantation's Slow-Cooker Indian Pudding

I don't know anything about Utah. My mom's family is from New England. Not sure if it's just them, but they all eat apple pie (or apple slices) with sharp cheddar. I grew always being offered sharp cheddar with apples. (Cabot cheddar, of course.) It never occurred to me that this is unusual so I just looked it up and found this blog mentioning it as a New England tradition. It does say it is common in some parts of the midwest. http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/new_england_apple_cheddar_galette/ This recipe also uses sausage: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/sausage-and-apple-pie-in-a-cheddar-crust-recipe

Regarding income uncertainty -- we didn't have to use the full subsidy offered. We could have set it to zero and just paid the full premium if we had thought we might make a lot more. We had just a little uncertainty last year about dh's income and so I didn't use the full subsidy. Still, when I realized he'd made about 2% more than expected, I logged into my account to update the income. Unfortunately, when reporting a life change you have to go through a lot of steps. Somewhere, I must have clicked something incorrectly (although the rep couldn't find what it was during our ninety minute phone call) and the result of the report kicked on of our children off our plan. Finally the rep asked if I wanted her to redo the application with the original income I had reported on our original application and to just lower the subsidy amount again. For this year, I took 85% of the subsidy, and was told we'd probably be fine. I could have done zero but we can't afford that and I am reasonably sure we won't be making far above the income that I reported on the application. I don't know if that would help since it sounds like there's a lot more uncertainty with your income but we weren't warned about any issues unless it appeared we had grossly misstated our income in order to get a bigger subsidy They can compare records and ask for documentation to support things but I didn't see that you could be fined. But again, I don't know for sure. If I had had more than one insurer option for my state, I would have probably looked to an agent for advice because it can be complicated. http://kff.org/health-reform/faq/health-reform-frequently-asked-questions/#question-what-if-i-dont-know-what-my-income-will-be-next-year http://kff.org/health-reform/faq/health-reform-frequently-asked-questions/#question-whats-the-most-i-would-have-to-repay-the-irs http://kff.org/health-reform/faq/health-reform-frequently-asked-questions/#question-what-if-i-dont-know-what-my-income-will-be-next-year Here is a link to questions about uneven incomes: http://kff.org/health-reform/faq/health-reform-frequently-asked-questions/#question-my-income-is-uneven-and-hard-to-predict-because-i-am-self-employed-most-years-i-make-between-20000-and-30000-though-two-years-ago-i-did-especially-well-and-earned-35000-how-will-this-affect-m

I'm not sure how our state differs from other states, so I know this may not apply to everyone. For us, we were eligible for COBRA towards the end of 2014. Even though the premium was something like 17% of our gross income, we needed coverage because of the time gap between leaving the old job and open enrollment on the marketplace. We were eligible for a special enrollment, but we couldn't do a market place plan in 2014. (We had a particular issue unique to our state marketplace that prevented us from using it.) For 2015, when the open enrollment began, we ended our COBRA and applied on the market place. One major issue was scarcity of doctors in our region accepting any of the plans, but it was good enough to sign up. We also thought, because we had only done the initial estimator (where you put in your ages, zip code, etc), that we would have to put the kids on Medicaid but it turns out we weren't eligible for it in our state. (I have found that this calculator almost exactly predicts our subsidies using both last year's and this year's incomes, and gives an accurate pricing of a plan available to us and a closer estimate regarding the subsidy within $40, whereas the govt site estimated we wouldn't get one at all. For us, it slightly underestimates the cost of the bronze level): http://kff.org/wp-content/themes/vip/kff/static/subsidy-calculator-widget.html Anyway, we qualified for a subsidy even after we gave the full application all the information regarding the previous employer, our COBRA coverage, and when we'd ended COBRA. From what I understand, being on COBRA for a short time, among other problems, made us ineligible only for a special enrollment period. As far as I know, it didn't affect our eligibility for a subsidy as long as our COBRA was terminated, which we were happy to get rid of since it was draining our account. (Although so is our current plan but that's another story.) The problem would have been if we had used COBRA from, say, April to June and decided it was too expensive. If I understand correctly, at that point, you can no longer enroll under special enrollment because accepting COBRA for even a month makes you ineligible for special enrollment, but again I could be wrong on that too. This isn't very helpful, but this was all I found so far: https://www.healthcare.gov/unemployed/cobra-coverage/ http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2014/01/14/covered-california-a-personal-obamacare-review/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahljacobs/2014/05/06/obamacare-gap-gets-a-band-aid/ http://www.insure.com/health-insurance/job-change-and-obamacare.html ETA: http://kff.org/health-reform/faq/health-reform-frequently-asked-questions/#question-im-enrolled-in-cobra-now-but-i-want-to-drop-it-does-that-affect-my-eligibility-for-marketplace-subsidies That link gives more information about what happens if you elect COBRA and then want a marketplace plan and subsidy eligibilty.

I agree with a lot of what has been said. In this particular case, I would expect better from him. There are so many other ways he could handle this. None of them require calling her morally petty. In general I see why it sounds petty to be sad about a cookie or a food. But it does get old and there are days when I just want to eat normally. I imagine it's very hard for a 14 year old -- sometimes that can be such a tough age anyway, nevermind for kids with allergies or other restrictions. But it's life. Of course, I have no problem watching everyone eat ice cream or something. It isn't fun, but it isn't sad either. I am sometimes sad because I'm not taking part with everyone. During the holiday season it's hard watching everyone eat the meals from recipes my grandparents used to make and we've used for years. All by myself or on an ordinary day, I don't miss those foods or care much if people eat stuff in front of me that I can't. But while we're all at the table with the whole family and the music is playing, the snow is falling ... I was watching the Coursera videos on nutrition and the instructor made a point to talk about the fact that food is not just for nutrition. The social connections over food are huge and it can be very isolating to lose them. Petty as it may seem, I have struggled with anxiety over it. And I don't share that with people IRL because no one cares and it is stupid. They don't see how I get sick after meals, they don't see how hard it has been to finally find a recipe that seems like it will work and then get sick. They don't see how isolating it is to not be able to eat at most social events and almost always have to prepare something separate for myself. I was in a store and saw a canister of cookies I hadn't seen in years. I don't miss any store bought treats, but I remembered sharing them with my grandmother and it was the only time I ate those. They were so delicious, but I'm guessing it's because it is one of my few memories of her. Anyway, I started to take them off the shelf and realized I couldn't eat them. I was sad for just a minute because most people wouldn't think twice about eating them and enjoying a happy memory. I get kind of tired of the restrictions sometimes even though I know it's petty and I should be glad I can even eat anything or have any happy memories at all.

In response to what I put in bold in your post: I never said that people shouldn't know how to self admin. I know how to. My kid is well trained on how to. Neither of us fear needles or have expressed concern that we would be ordinarily unwilling to self inject. What I am saying is I needed to be injected because it happened very quickly. I don't think that is the norm but I don't think it is unusual for someone in a reaction to need help even if they are of age to self admin. And I'm saying I would not have my kid at a class with food (for us, our restrictions mean she eats only her own food, period) without me or someone trained on how to use an epi. I would expect she could self admin if nec. but I want someone there in case she can't. Quite a few people may have made it through their reactions because they had assistance or were with people who knew exactly what to do. The basic point I am trying to get across is I believe people with food allergies would benefit from as many people in their lives as possible who know the symptoms and know the order of the emergency plan (it's not complex) if something happens and happens rapidly. This is my opinion and it's how we make some of our choices. We've established that's different for everyone and of course you can disagree. But I'm just going to say I don't think I'm the only person who would be uncomfortable with relying on self-administration alone and I've read guidelines that specifically point out that even someone who self-carries may not be able to because of the reaction. You can disagree with me on that but I did not say that a person shouldn't learn to self-inject or that it is always necessary to have help injecting. And my bigger point, to the OP, was that even if the class or co-op was registered with kids that had no known allergies it could still happen so why not train someone in the classroom to know how to treat an emergency? Now this article is about public schools, not small co-ops, but we're still talking about groups of kids. And, btw, I was talking about all settings, not just homeschool or public school. I mean, why would a public school or anyone in charge of a group of kids on a regular basis not want be trained for emergencies? And I was saying we practice this no matter where we are -- because of my risk, I try not to eat unless I have someone around that can help me. Not always possible, but at this point in my kid's life, I can definitely make sure someone is always around to assist if necessary. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/853486 As to the rest, I agree. I didn't like option a or b and am sorry to hear it's going downhill.

I would still want (and I'm not saying this is the case at your co-op) trained staff who know how to recognize the signs and administer. I do not believe it is wise to rely on self-administration. Sure it happens and it works. Maybe it is just me the denial and confusion was so strong and I couldn't do it myself. And I have zero fear of needles! As to the ages of kids, of course little ones need more but I still believe the teen years are risky. Different challenges, but not necessarily lower risk.

See, I wish I had known from the first post or at least earlier than this that he didn't merely mention his allergy. He ran angrily from the room. Ok, that is a problem. I already said I understood why you felt deceived on the form (because I don't think desensitization treatments are widely understood enough by the general population) and I even said I thought the idea of his mom telling him to just go find her was not a great way for her to handle it either. I think I said it is wonderful you have or would have accommodated with no nuts or peanuts if necessary. Again, this child aside, can I get clarification here? You said: "As one previous poster suggested, I have now instructed all cooking teachers to not include nuts in their recipes out of an abundance of caution for diagnosed allergies, which, as was pointed out to me, is a far greater risk than having a diagnosed allergy in the classroom. " Did you mean "out of an abundance of caution for undiagnosed allergies"? If so, I definitely applaud that move, but may I suggest (again) that you look into training some staff to handle an emergency? Because a person could have an undiagnosed allergy to dairy or eggs or accidental exposure (recalls on "safe" food happen all the time!) during any class with food. You clearly care about safety and protection of your group but you said at first no one in the class is trained on emergency handling. Let's say you allow a kid into the class with nut allergies. In the unlikely but not unheard of event, the nut-free ingredient is contaminated or the spatula wasn't cleaned properly and the kid has a serious reaction. It doesn't take long for it to become life-threatening and you *cannot* rely on *anyone* even an adult to self-administer. Yes, they are designed to allow for self use but among the symptoms are confusion and denial. It is vital to have someone on hand who knows what to do. I live by that in my everyday life because of my risk of it happening again. I hope you will consider it. I posted some resources earlier for you and could find more if it would help.

I would never sign my kid up for a food centered class. Not unless I was teaching or I could be present, supply ingredients, and clean the kitchen, and probably some other things. I don't ask much for accommodation either. And yes going nut free doesn't help everyone anyway nor is it going to be trusted. I prefer allergy friendly not allergen free. But my kid has not been through whatever treatment that this boy is going through. Unless I misunderstood it is the director not the mother asking for the class to suddenly be peanut free.

Thinking a bit ahead -- no one in the room with food knows about allergies or treatment. I think a couple of people have said this -- if this is more than just a playgroup and this is an educational setting serving groups of children, it is worth knowing the signs of an allergic reaction and the steps for emergency treatment and also having allergy-friendly policies (let the parent provide food, let the kid self-carry, make sure someone trained is present, etc.) I posted earlier a link from a course on child nutrition and cooking and it made a point to discuss allergies as part of the educational process. And, now that you have give more details, then yes, I see your issue with how it happened. I disagree with how that was handled (I'm not sure what the mother thought would happen -- no one would notice he was going off to find her when the peanuts came out?) and if she had just left the form blank and not told him to go find her, then I'd better understand her. I know you were just asking about what to do with this child (let him stay or not), but what about the future? What about other kids? He's not going to be the only allergic kid you ever deal with. If this treatment is available in your region, maybe other kids like him might come across your path. No, I can't assure you about his desensitization because I do not know what treatment he's in but if it were me, I'd be very happy to give out articles and research along with a doctor's note of clearance. This is a genuine question, not at all snarky -- is that enough for you or what else would you want for documentation? I ask because I'm not a director and I don't know what you would need. I hope this will be an opportunity to work things out because if I were to be in charge of the legal protection and overall safety of a group of kids, it would be a priority to have someone trained in food allergy treatment -- not because I have a kid with allergies, but because it's not unheard of for a person to have a serious reaction before ever knowing they have a severe allergy. I mean, we didn't know our kid had a serious allergy until one day it exploded and we thankfully had access to treatment. Anyway, I think it is great you would have been willing to work out a peanut free cooking class ahead of time and I wish you both luck as you work out this issue.

I didn't see your response to my question. I'm not arguing. I enjoy discussing on threads like this because I usually learn something new and either change my view or better understand what someone else's POV is. It can be hard to talk about these things IRL -- a lot of people just don't care to hear about allergies, so I really value being able to discuss it here. Ok, the rest of this isn't specifically to you -- just using it to think some more. I wasn't clear and I was asking more about if the class were to have other allergic kids sign up -- and I imagine this isn't the last allergic student (in OIT or not) that will attend their co-op classes. If the treatment is available in her region, more people are going to be trying it. If the instructor wasn't brought in on the understanding that she would have to make it allergy-friendly, is it fair to bring that up after it has begun? I see both sides. I also think, though, that this child doesn't need the same precautions that most would need. So I'm back to thinking it's not particularly fair or necessary to change the class plans at this point for this child. But I'm glad to hear they could have done peanut free easily. Now she has responded that they could have made plans around him but is still stuck on the form being misleading. And I understand why she feels misled but again, if this kid went through the program that I am thinking of -- yes, the parent should have had a discussion, but this conversation is exactly why she didn't. Because the instinct was to dismiss the child from the exact situation his treatment gives him the freedom to do. It can be hard enough to find people willing to learn emergency treatment and how to make things allergy-friendly, let alone people who will listen to an explanation of how this treatment works, and how yes, he's allergic but yes, he's safe to be there.