Im really upset.....ok I am LIVID!

[Jean in Newcastle]

The teacher and the nurse both new. I am LIVID b/c protocol was not followed and I was not made aware of the situation.

 

I am aware that exposure may or may not happen. BUT what I do expect to happen is that protocol is followed when exposure does happen.

 

When the children enter the school they wash their hands. IF she is exposed I am suppose to be given a phone call so I can make the decision if Im going to pick her up. They are suppose to give her a dose of bendryl. IF it's ingestion they are suppose to administer Bendryl/EPI, call 911 and then call me.

 

I fully understand the risks of sending her to school. I fully understand that she is going to be exposed here and there. WHAT I do not fully understand is why protocol was not followed-that is what my main concern is.

 

I did not post my frustrations to debate homeschooling or whether someones job should be at risk or how parent's who are uneducated about food allergies dont understand the risks.

 

:grouphug: I understand. :grouphug:

[clarkacademy]

Ok so they missed the peanuts that somebody packed that were in a bin to supposedly be inspected.

They didn't inspect the snack bin.

They did not give her Benadryl as a preventative, as per her medical plan.

They did not call you to inform you of the incident, as her medical plan.

AND this is her 2nd nut exposure since school started in september!?!

 

That is hugely negligent! They need some serious scare tactic education on how serious nut allergies are and how fast they happen, and just how little time the child may have before meds may not even help! WTH!? I would go way up the chain here. The teacher and nurse both failed to protect your dd, and the principal is ultimately at fault as well for not seeing to it that these people in charge of a child's well being are not properly educated, or just simply do not care.

 

I also think that the parents need a reminder of how serious this is. How hard is it to pack a lunch w/o nuts? Seriously! We are nut free at our house due my 2 yr old's nut allergy. Yes, it could be a grandparent or babysitter packed the peanuts by accident, but I find it is usually careless parents who just don't take this seriously enough- because it's not their child. :glare:

 

Also, I've heard that some schools in the US do not allow the child to have access to medication themselves, they have to go to the office and get it from the nurse. Please tell me this is not true? Does your dd have access to an epi pen right in her class or is it locked up in the nurses' office? Because the latter is just not good enough, too many variables, too much wasted time.

 

Any updates on how your meeting went?

 

Sometimes it could be pretty hard because you would assume that certain things don't even have nuts. Then you look at the ingredients only to find that nuts are used in other foods from the same factory cross contamination! So you got a single mom 4 kids just got off work at 11 at night she needs to buy her kid lunch etc. She won't look she just needs her kid lunch.

 

As far as my child, he's autistic from the age of 2-7 he ate nothing but peanutbutter PERIOD. Three times a day a peanutbutter sandwich and he deserves to go to PS too. We pay taxes. Why should my child suffer? He is autistic I would simply love for one of you to just give him something different LOL.

 

This is the world that is your child you do what you gotta do, but don't ever put the safety of your child in someone elses hands and get mad when they fail. I would simply hate for my boy to have allergies on top of a heart defect, seizures, ADHD, autism and OCD. I hated the fact he constantly had seizures at school due to the other LOUD behaviors of the special needs students in his class. That was life threatening it was the teachers job etc.

 

So if he had died would it have been their fault? Perhaps the other students with disabilities fault? Their parents perhaps? Nope it would have been mine cause I left him there. I am his mother I am responsible end of story. This school has already failed twice There is no guarantee. If they can't guarantee a kid won't bring a gun how the heck are they going to guarantee a darn peanut?

 

They are guilty of not following protocol I agree totally but as for this their fault? No it's not.

[staceyobu]

This is a sincere question. Does anyone know how schools handle children with other serious medical conditions, such as a suppressed immune system? I know there are those on the WTM board whose children can become deathly ill from a simple cold. The school can't guarantee safety for that child at school, but home tutoring also requires parent involvement ("forced" homeschooling?). What is the solution?

 

OP, I'm sorry they didn't follow the protocol. Since it's happened two times since school started it's obvious that they are not prioritizing your dd's health. Frankly, it's risky, and in your situation I'd be looking at all my options. :grouphug:

 

I think if it is unsafe for a child to be in a school setting, they will send a teacher to your home. So, the school teaches the child in their own home.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Sometimes it could be pretty hard because you would assume that certain things don't even have nuts. Then you look at the ingredients only to find that nuts are used in other foods from the same factory cross contamination! So you got a single mom 4 kids just got off work at 11 at night she needs to buy her kid lunch etc. She won't look she just needs her kid lunch.

 

As far as my child, he's autistic from the age of 2-7 he ate nothing but peanutbutter PERIOD. Three times a day a peanutbutter sandwich and he deserves to go to PS too. We pay taxes. Why should my child suffer? He is autistic I would simply love for one of you to just give him something different LOL.

 

This is the world that is your child you do what you gotta do, but don't ever put the safety of your child in someone elses hands and get mad when they fail. I would simply hate for my boy to have allergies on top of a heart defect, seizures, ADHD, autism and OCD. I hated the fact he constantly had seizures at school due to the other LOUD behaviors of the special needs students in his class. That was life threatening it was the teachers job etc.

 

So if he had died would it have been their fault? Perhaps the other students with disabilities fault? Their parents perhaps? Nope it would have been mine cause I left him there. I am his mother I am responsible end of story. This school has already failed twice There is no guarantee. If they can't guarantee a kid won't bring a gun how the heck are they going to guarantee a darn peanut?

 

They are guilty of not following protocol I agree totally but as for this their fault? No it's not.

 

I believe that it is only some classrooms that are made nut free. If your child only ate nuts I would suppose that you could talk to the office about assigning him to another classroom.

[msjones]

If this was the case with one of my children, they would be with me. If it is this severe (and i believe it is!) than why would you trust anyone else with that?

 

I understand there is protocal. BUT the teacher has 25+ kids they are responsible for. Between, education and every thing else, is it no wonder that public schools are such a failure??

 

For the people calling for the teachers resignation, time off without pay etc, really?? I highly doubt any teacher would let this happen on purpose! Maybe she/he doesn't even know it happened.

 

If you want complete reassurance that your child will not be around any kind of nut (or anything else they're allergic to) or allergen, KEEP THEM HOME WITH YOU.

:iagree: There are too many variables at a school for there to be a nut-free guarantee. Even "checking the snacks" won't guarantee anything; there are nuts in many processed foods that appear to be nut-free. With an allergy that severe, the child should probably not be in a large-group public school setting. Students with suppressed immune systems have alternative education settings -- usually a teacher visits the home or hospital. If nut exposure could cause death within one minute of exposure, that is even riskier than a suppressed immune system, and I would think the doctor would recommend against any large-group settings.

Edited October 19, 2011 by msjones
forgot something

[nowimscrappin]

:iagree: There are too many variables at a school for there to be a nut-free guarantee. Even "checking the snacks" won't guarantee anything; there are nuts in many processed foods that appear to be nut-free. With an allergy that severe, the child should not be in a large-group public school setting.

 

I agree. Again, my daughter is not anaphalactic, but we are finding wheat in many things and it doesn't say wheat on the label. It's hidden under other names.

 

We have a friend with a son with not just peanuts, but all beans (peas, soybeans, etc). He's anaphalactic but for his entire school life, he's had to live with that and most of the priority is on him to avoid. When he comes over, the epipens come with him. We don't remove the peanuts from the house and I can't always make sure we don't have peanut butter on the counter, but I do know how to use the epipen - which is why I think focus should be on the response protocol with the school and avoidance with your daughter.

[choirfarm]

:iagree: There are too many variables at a school for there to be a nut-free guarantee. Even "checking the snacks" won't guarantee anything; there are nuts in many processed foods that appear to be nut-free. With an allergy that severe, the child should probably not be in a large-group public school setting. Students with suppressed immune systems have alternative education settings -- usually a teacher visits the home or hospital. If nut exposure could cause death within one minute of exposure, that is even riskier than a suppressed immune system, and I would think the doctor would recommend against any large-group settings.

 

Yes, I agree. I'm sorry I wouldn't be livid. They have tons of students to take all this effort for one child. My oldest is allergic to peanuts. I don't expect him to be in a peanut free zone all the time, but his doesn't seem to be life threatening. I guess I just wonder how much effort I would expect an institution to go to. I would and do homeschool ( though not because of his peanut allergy.) I don't expect the world to revolve around me. If I had a child that allergic, then I wouldn't send her to school until she could handle the situation herself. And WHY was she touching them???????????? Doesn't she know she is allergic??? My son at the age of 4 was always asking his teachers, "Does this have peanuts or peanut butter in it?" He would never eat a strange cookie or candy unless he knew EXACTLY what was in it. He is certainly not touching peanuts!

Christine

[MrsJewelsRae]

clarkacademy-

Actually I was specifically referring to parents who deliberately pack peanuts and peanut butter when they know better but don't care. I understand that accidents happen, which is why my kid will never be in public school. But it angers me when parents pretend like they will follow the rules but they don't actually intend to at all. I have spoken with several parents who think it's ok to send p/b cookies and granola bars to a peanut free class and just tell their kid to be careful with it, not eat near the allergic kid and wash their hands, they are hoping no one will notice. If you have no intention of following the rule, at least man up and tell them, don't be sneaky about it- that can kill a kid.

[MHowell]

I am on the Wellness Committee for my daughters school district. I have only experienced this from a districts POV.....

 

In our district high need children get ISP's. These ISP's vary by need, but we now have on staff at a local elementary school a full time LVN, whom is on a 1:1 with a specific student. She can NEVER be more than 25 feet away from the student while the student is on campus. She wears a fanny pack with medical supplies (EPI pen, etc) at all times. The district was lucky and found an LVN with a teachers certificate (how they did this I have no clue, we're lucky I guess), she has a small office located in the back of the classroom where she works with other children during the day in a 'learning lab' type set up. It has worked out great for that school.

 

I also have a friend whose daughter was on a 1:1 ISP for behavioral issues, and was assaulted by another student while the aide was no where to be found. She sued the district and won. The district is now paying for her daughters private school tuition. Obviously the 1:1 cannot stop all accidents, but they can/will be held more accountable for response to the contact.

 

I didn't notice what state you are in, but if your daughter is that highly allergic, she could qualify for an ISP, and the state covers the added expense.

 

I also have to agree at this point I would address the response, not the contact issue. It will be up to your daughter in the future to monitor herself, and she should be practicing this now. Opening a bag of nuts she knows she is allergic to is far from the best idea.

[Twilight Woods]

Well maybe you should have or maybe post this on the after schooling board then? :grouphug:

 

I'm very sympathetic. I hope you come to a satisfactory resolution and I'm glad your child didn't have a reaction! We have some severe and potentially deadly allergies in our family and my oldest went to 2 years of PS. But I am also sympathetic to what teachers are faced with these days. I volunteered in my 1st graders class weekly. 27 kids, 3 with severe behavioral problems, several with life threatening allergies, kids at the highest and lowest ends of the spectrum, and playground time was cut that year. It was a real eye opener.

 

why would I post this on the afterschooling board when it has nothing to do with "afterschooling" . I homeschool my first and afterschool my 2nd why does it matter? I posted on the general board.

 

I agree that it's hard to manage allergies especially life threatening. I live it every day. I just wish they had followed protocol. I now have zero faith that they can follow directions in relation to a specific event and I now have to figure out what I am doing.

[Twilight Woods]

Ok so they missed the peanuts that somebody packed that were in a bin to supposedly be inspected.

They didn't inspect the snack bin.

They did not give her Benadryl as a preventative, as per her medical plan.

They did not call you to inform you of the incident, as her medical plan.

AND this is her 2nd nut exposure since school started in september!?!

 

That is hugely negligent! They need some serious scare tactic education on how serious nut allergies are and how fast they happen, and just how little time the child may have before meds may not even help! WTH!? I would go way up the chain here. The teacher and nurse both failed to protect your dd, and the principal is ultimately at fault as well for not seeing to it that these people in charge of a child's well being are not properly educated, or just simply do not care.

 

I also think that the parents need a reminder of how serious this is. How hard is it to pack a lunch w/o nuts? Seriously! We are nut free at our house due my 2 yr old's nut allergy. Yes, it could be a grandparent or babysitter packed the peanuts by accident, but I find it is usually careless parents who just don't take this seriously enough- because it's not their child. :glare:

 

Also, I've heard that some schools in the US do not allow the child to have access to medication themselves, they have to go to the office and get it from the nurse. Please tell me this is not true? Does your dd have access to an epi pen right in her class or is it locked up in the nurses' office? Because the latter is just not good enough, too many variables, too much wasted time.

 

Any updates on how your meeting went?

 

her pen is in a lock box.

[ChrissySC]

I pack peanut butter, but I don't do it to "get at your child". I wonder about many of the comments seem extreme in their expectations of me (used loosely to identify a parent) being responsible for their child too.

 

I truly unerstand the severity, but then I have to ask why you choose to send them to school? If it is that severe and that deadly, why? You really expect all of the parents in a school of 500 plus kids to go peanut free with you? Really? I think that is unrealistic.

 

You can only expect you to be the advocate because the rest of the parents will not understand why you want other kids and parents to take responsibility for your choice to send your child to school. It is public education. You cannot expect to restrict the freedoms of other children (majority) in your favor.

 

With that said, as long as you stay away from that much heated topic, you should drive in nails for them not following protocol. This is where I would be driven to irrate anger. I applaud you staying so calm while discussing this with them and others.

[jennsmile]

 

I didn't notice what state you are in, but if your daughter is that highly allergic, she could qualify for an ISP, and the state covers the added expense.

QUOTE]

ISP? Could you spell out your alpahbet soup please. My dh is in education and I know most of the lingo but ISP is a new one for me and one that probably varies from state to state. I have heard of IEP and 504 and RTI.

[Twilight Woods]

I am on the Wellness Committee for my daughters school district. I have only experienced this from a districts POV.....

 

In our district high need children get ISP's. These ISP's vary by need, but we now have on staff at a local elementary school a full time LVN, whom is on a 1:1 with a specific student. She can NEVER be more than 25 feet away from the student while the student is on campus. She wears a fanny pack with medical supplies (EPI pen, etc) at all times. The district was lucky and found an LVN with a teachers certificate (how they did this I have no clue, we're lucky I guess), she has a small office located in the back of the classroom where she works with other children during the day in a 'learning lab' type set up. It has worked out great for that school.

 

I also have a friend whose daughter was on a 1:1 ISP for behavioral issues, and was assaulted by another student while the aide was no where to be found. She sued the district and won. The district is now paying for her daughters private school tuition. Obviously the 1:1 cannot stop all accidents, but they can/will be held more accountable for response to the contact.

 

I didn't notice what state you are in, but if your daughter is that highly allergic, she could qualify for an ISP, and the state covers the added expense.

 

I also have to agree at this point I would address the response, not the contact issue. It will be up to your daughter in the future to monitor herself, and she should be practicing this now. Opening a bag of nuts she knows she is allergic to is far from the best idea.

 

I agree. She should have known better than to touch them. She is educated on her allergies...but in her 5 y/o mind she was being a "good friend" and at 5 I don't think she quite get's death or dying yet..it's not concrete yet for her. I have lot's of things to think about and I have a meeting tomorrow. I just want to stress that Im LIVID about not following protocol. She could just as easily be expose to something she is allergic to at a park or store or anywhere but the difference is *I* follow protocol.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

an apology is NOT enough -- her classroom should be nut-free -- you need to remind them that this is a libablity issue for them legally

 

:iagree: They should also agree to have her epi-pens, benadryl, and other ordered meds with her action plan always in the same room with her with someone who is trained and ready to give them in the same room. Her meds should follow her where ever she is in the school. They should be CPR and First Aid trained IMHO. Her meds should never be locked in the office somehwere as some schools try to do:glare:. Her room should also be tree nut free IMO since they are often cross contaminated. MY son's school did agree to these things.

 

As for the lunch room I don't think that should be peanut free but instead they should have a peanut/nut table for kids to eat those products:D I like this idea better than a peanut/nut free table.

[Lovin Learnin]

I pack peanut butter, but I don't do it to "get at your child". I wonder about many of the comments seem extreme in their expectations of me (used loosely to identify a parent) being responsible for their child too.

 

I truly unerstand the severity, but then I have to ask why you choose to send them to school? If it is that severe and that deadly, why? You really expect all of the parents in a school of 500 plus kids to go peanut free with you? Really? I think that is unrealistic.

 

You can only expect you to be the advocate because the rest of the parents will not understand why you want other kids and parents to take responsibility for your choice to send your child to school. It is public education. You cannot expect to restrict the freedoms of other children (majority) in your favor.

 

With that said, as long as you stay away from that much heated topic, you should drive in nails for them not following protocol. This is where I would be driven to irrate anger. I applaud you staying so calm while discussing this with them and others.

 

I don't believe this is a matter of every parent going peanut free. This really could be solved by moving the allergic child to a safe zone during meal times. To avoid making her feel like a leper the school could monitor the lunches of the two or three children who have volunteered to eat lunch with this child (there were days when my dd asked me not to give her peanut butter so that she could eat with her friend). It really can be managed. I've seen it in action. The problem with the OP's situation is that there was never an attempt to manage the situation.

 

I also don't think it is helpful for people to blame this poor 5 yr old child for touching the peanuts, as some pp have. She's five. Yes she can and should be taught the importance of avoidance, but if she has not suffered a severe reaction in HER recent memory it just may not stick. And even if she has, well....she five.

[msjones]

I have worked in a lot of public schools. I don't think any public school should be making a "no-peanut guarantee" and I don't think any parent can expect it.

 

I'd venture to say that any adult making such a guarantee doesn't truly understand the nature of the allergy.

 

If a child is deathly allergic (i.e. death within one minute of exposure as mentioned by a previous poster), the child is at a high risk of death in a regular public school setting despite the very best efforts of all adults involved.

 

There are up to 30 kids in each room, sometimes 300 kids at once in a cafeteria, there are vast playgrounds with only two adults on duty, there are crowded school buses with only the driver 'supervising' 100 kids, unsupervised bathrooms, unsupervised hallways, lockers/cubbies that are only cleaned out weekly (if that), etc. etc.

 

There's no guarantee. The schools should not offer one. They cannot control all the variables.

 

The child would be safer with a one-on-one aide. Some schools may offer that; students with intensive medical needs sometimes qualify for one. But no parent should be counting on a 'guarantee.'

Edited October 19, 2011 by msjones

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I am sorry this happened to your child. My dd was very aware by age 5 not eat peanuts, touch peanuts, etc. I don't really know what you wanted people to post. Yes, it isn't good that the school can't follow protocol. It is natural that most of us here feel like sending your child to that school is probably going to be continually risky. Many parents here are saying that you can't get fully safe schools and the sooner you realize that, the better off you will be. Who is supposed to be checking the lunches? The teacher while she is in charge of 20-30 small children? I think it is most incumbant that you teach your child what to do. Of course, homeschooling in such a situation is better since you can control the environment and since you are on a homeschooling board and others here have in fact pulled children from school because of medical reasons like peanut allergies, you are going to get such responses. Once you express your outrage, some people will feel it is overblown while others will think your solution isn't drastic enough. That is the nature of a message board.

 

I agree children should be taught about their allergies and not to eat or touch allergens but the child is only 5. I reminded my ds everyday and still do not accept food from other and to only eat the safe food in his lunch bad. Yet there was still instances when he forgot despite me reminding before the event. Young children cannot be expected to always remember this and therefore the schools and responsible adults need to be responsible IMHO. Of course , the child should be taught and reminded daily but adults are still the safekeepers.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I have worked in a lot of public schools. I don't think any public school should be making a "no-peanut guarantee" and I don't think any parent can expect it.

 

I'd venture to say that any adult making such a guarantee doesn't truly understand the nature of the allergy.

 

If a child is deathly allergic, the child is at a high risk of death in a regular public school setting despite the very best efforts of all adults involved.

 

There are up to 30 kids in each room, sometimes 300 kids at once in a cafeteria, there are vast playgrounds with only two adults on duty, there are crowded school buses with only the driver 'supervising' 100 kids, unsupervised bathrooms, unsupervised hallways, lockers/cubbies that are only cleaned out weekly (if that), etc. etc.

 

There's no guarantee. The schools should not offer one. They cannot control all the variables.

 

The child would be safer with a one-on-one aide. Some schools may offer that; students with intensive medical needs sometimes qualify for one. But no parent should be counting on a 'guarantee.'

I think they can make the classroom peanut and tree nut free though.

[CAMom]

I agree. She should have known better than to touch them. She is educated on her allergies...but in her 5 y/o mind she was being a "good friend" and at 5 I don't think she quite get's death or dying yet..it's not concrete yet for her. I have lot's of things to think about and I have a meeting tomorrow. I just want to stress that Im LIVID about not following protocol. She could just as easily be expose to something she is allergic to at a park or store or anywhere but the difference is *I* follow protocol.

 

I don't get posters who don't understand that the school did not follow the protocol.:confused: I don't get why posters are saying that the OP wants the school to guarantee that her child is safe and not exposed.

 

That's not at all what she's saying! Sure, she expects (and reasonably so) that her dd's room be nut free. The problem is not necessarily the exposure but the staff not taking that exposure seriously.

 

The little girl is 5! She cannot be 100% responsible for reminding the staff to follow her medical protocol! She may, in fact, "feel fine" but have a reaction.

 

The fact that the snacks were not inspected which is what was agreed upon was negligent. But, the fact that the protocol for exposure was not followed is completely inexcusable!

 

OP, make sure you update us on your meeting.

 

From the mom of a peanut/tree nut allergic kid...:grouphug:

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I don't believe this is a matter of every parent going peanut free. This really could be solved by moving the allergic child to a safe zone during meal times. To avoid making her feel like a leper the school could monitor the lunches of the two or three children who have volunteered to eat lunch with this child (there were days when my dd asked me not to give her peanut butter so that she could eat with her friend). It really can be managed. I've seen it in action. The problem with the OP's situation is that there was never an attempt to manage the situation.

 

I also don't think it is helpful for people to blame this poor 5 yr old child for touching the peanuts, as some pp have. She's five. Yes she can and should be taught the importance of avoidance, but if she has not suffered a severe reaction in HER recent memory it just may not stick. And even if she has, well....she five.

A much better idea IMHO is to have a table for eating nut products:D This helps to make an allergic child not feel like a leper.

[Tabrett]

I pack peanut butter, but I don't do it to "get at your child". I wonder about many of the comments seem extreme in their expectations of me (used loosely to identify a parent) being responsible for their child too.

 

I truly unerstand the severity, but then I have to ask why you choose to send them to school? If it is that severe and that deadly, why? You really expect all of the parents in a school of 500 plus kids to go peanut free with you? Really? I think that is unrealistic.

 

You can only expect you to be the advocate because the rest of the parents will not understand why you want other kids and parents to take responsibility for your choice to send your child to school. It is public education. You cannot expect to restrict the freedoms of other children (majority) in your favor.

 

With that said, as long as you stay away from that much heated topic, you should drive in nails for them not following protocol. This is where I would be driven to irrate anger. I applaud you staying so calm while discussing this with them and others.

:iagree:

I think it is too much to ask an entire class to be nut free. What happens when there are dc with nut, wheat, milk, egg, seafood and corn allergies all in the same class? Should the school be required to make sure none of these food items be brought into the room? What are parents going to send to school for their dc?

 

Not giving your dd Benadryl and not calling you was wrong and needs to be dealt with.

 

But asking a school to create an allergy free environment is impossible and not fair to other parents.

 

I am truly sorry for what happened, but we expect way too much out of public schools. I am very glad I don't have to teach at a public school anymore. I was always afraid I was going to mess up. :glare:

[ChrissySC]

I don't believe this is a matter of every parent going peanut free. This really could be solved by moving the allergic child to a safe zone during meal times. To avoid making her feel like a leper the school could monitor the lunches of the two or three children who have volunteered to eat lunch with this child (there were days when my dd asked me not to give her peanut butter so that she could eat with her friend). It really can be managed. I've seen it in action. The problem with the OP's situation is that there was never an attempt to manage the situation.

 

I also don't think it is helpful for people to blame this poor 5 yr old child for touching the peanuts, as some pp have. She's five. Yes she can and should be taught the importance of avoidance, but if she has not suffered a severe reaction in HER recent memory it just may not stick. And even if she has, well....she five.

 

Yes, it does sound that way. I was just hoping that she could stay away from that particular arguement. I know how that turns out from experience. :glare: War was waged at our elementary school. The child went to the office to eat snack and lunch.

 

Yet, what does that do for the kids eating these items in the classroom, library, hallway .... Hygiene and designating appropriate eating areas (OMG, like the cafeteria) would not inconvience anyone much at all. Funny how they throw the idea of public education for everyone, and then run "nuts" about things that really are seriously deserving of their attention and effort.

 

I do like the idea of a "free zone".

[Lovin Learnin]

A much better idea IMHO is to have a table for eating nut products:D This helps to make an allergic child not feel like a leper.

 

Perhaps. But my guess is that there are far more children eating nut products than there are not. My dd's friend knew why she was seated at a special table. I thought it was nice of the school to monitor a handful of other kids' lunches so they could make sure she had friends with her.

[msjones]

I think they can make the classroom peanut and tree nut free though.

 

They can try. They should try. But they can't promise it. No teacher can know precisely what every student is doing at all times of the day. It's not possible. Teachers simply can't look at every kid all the time.

 

Coat pockets and backpacks cannot all be checked for food wrappers or zip lock bags every day. Every nook and cranny of every desk cannot be checked every day. Neither can all cubbies/lockers, jeans pockets,cute little sequin purses, or shirt pockets be checked every day. a kindergarten classroom.

 

Of course, they could be checked, but it would be impractical and food items could still be missed.

 

As a teacher, I would never promise a nut-free classroom.

[ChrissySC]

:iagree:

I think it is too much to ask an entire class to be nut free. What happens when there are dc with nut, wheat, milk, egg, seafood and corn allergies all in the same class? Should the school be required to make sure none of these food items be brought into the room? What are parents going to send to school for their dc?

 

Not giving your dd Benadryl and not calling you was wrong and needs to be dealt with.

 

But asking a school to create an allergy free environment is impossible and not fair to other parents.

 

I am truly sorry for what happened, but we expect way too much out of public schools. I am very glad I don't have to teach at a public school anymore. I was always afraid I was going to mess up. :glare:

 

I never even considered what we would do for all other allergies.:001_huh:

 

The reality is it isn't possible to keep everyone allergy safe.

[MHowell]

 

I didn't notice what state you are in, but if your daughter is that highly allergic, she could qualify for an ISP, and the state covers the added expense.

QUOTE]

ISP? Could you spell out your alpahbet soup please. My dh is in education and I know most of the lingo but ISP is a new one for me and one that probably varies from state to state. I have heard of IEP and 504 and RTI.

 

Sorry I meant IEP. I get all these terms confused in my head- there are SO MANY!

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I can understand your frustration as we want to protect our children and try to put safety measures in place to do so, but we can not rely on the schools to keep our kids safe. We would like to, but there are too many other people involved including those outside the classroom. Grandparents that might be keeping kids that week, pack a lunch and include their grandchild's favorite PBJ. A new sitter packing lunches in the morning with celery and pnb, etc...it's going to happen.

 

We have to instruct our children to not touch and if so, to make the teacher aware immediately. My friend tells her children: If you do touch peanuts, you MUST tell the teacher: I have touched peanuts. I have a severe allergy to them that could kill me. I need to take benadryl now and call my parents.

 

Protocol should have been followed afterwards though and that is the main part that I would be focusing on. Accidents are going to happen. What they do after that is important.

 

Again, I agree that children should be thoroughly and repeatedly taught about their allergies but this a young child. One cannot expect young children to always remember and know what to do despite teaching them. Ask me how I know:(

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I never even considered what we would do for all other allergies.:001_huh:

 

The reality is it isn't possible to keep everyone allergy safe.

 

The difference with other allergies is that peanuts and tree nuts are the ones most likely to cause fatal reactions. Allergies are definitely a tough situation.

[Lovin Learnin]

Yet, what does that do for the kids eating these items in the classroom, library, hallway .... Hygiene and designating appropriate eating areas (OMG, like the cafeteria) would not inconvience anyone much at all. Funny how they throw the idea of public education for everyone, and then run "nuts" about things that really are seriously deserving of their attention and effort.

 

I do like the idea of a "free zone".

 

:iagree: With the severity of nut allergies these days I don't believe there should ever be food in the classroom. Our school district limits food to the lunchroom exclusively and has banned all food products for celebrations. It made me a little sad that I couldn't send cupcakes for her b-day but it was the right choice to make.

[Pink Fairy]

I think if it is unsafe for a child to be in a school setting, they will send a teacher to your home. So, the school teaches the child in their own home.

 

Yes, but for a parent who is unable to be at home, does the teacher stay with the child at his/her home all day?

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

They can try. They should try. But they can't promise it. No teacher can know precisely what every student is doing at all times of the day. It's not possible. Teachers simply can't look at every kid all the time.

 

Coat pockets and backpacks cannot all be checked for food wrappers or zip lock bags every day. Every nook and cranny of every desk cannot be checked every day. Neither can all cubbies/lockers, jeans pockets,cute little sequin purses, or shirt pockets be checked every day. a kindergarten classroom.

 

Of course, they could be checked, but it would be impractical and food items could still be missed.

 

As a teacher, I would never promise a nut-free classroom.

 

Yes but they can check the snacks and better yet when the kids are a little older have no food in the classroom. Even better take the kids to the lunchroom for snacktime IMHO which I think is a great idea. As for birthday cupcakes I think all birthday food parties should be eliminated from schools. When I was a kid there was no such thing as birthday parties in school and IMO are totally unnecessary. It is really makes a allergy kid feel left out to have to not partake of cupcakes and eat the safe treat from home.

[Twilight Woods]

Again, I agree that children should be thoroughly and repeatedly taught about their allergies but this a young child. One cannot expect young children to always remember and know what to do despite teaching them. Ask me how I know:(

 

I agree. When DD was 3 we were at a birthday party she was upstairs playing and they had one of those claw candy machines...well she stuck her hand up and grabbed a candybar, hid under the bed and thankfully one of the parents saw her and grabbed her just as she swallowed a mini butterfinger.

 

I could only imagine what would have happened if no one saw her go hide. Thankfully the ER visit went well :)

 

It's scary and I don't expect peanut free zones...it would be nice and a little extra assurance but it is hard to maintain.

[ChrissySC]

:iagree: With the severity of nut allergies these days I don't believe there should ever be food in the classroom. Our school district limits food to the lunchroom exclusively and has banned all food products for celebrations. It made me a little sad that I couldn't send cupcakes for her b-day but it was the right choice to make.

 

 

I have never been fond of them eating in the classroom. They came in from playing on the playground for snack, pumped hand sanitizer on my dd's hands and handed her something to eat. She had many instances of vomitting and upset stomach that went on for months. Finally, I was visiting the classroom. I yanked that snack from her hands and took her to wash. I stopped that practice. It clearly says on the bottle to WAIT until the product dries, and toxic if ingested. :lol:

 

And OP wants peanut free, LOL - the irony. They were poisoning my girl for months! (Meant with a great deal of humor!)

Edited October 19, 2011 by ChrissySC

[Guest Hurricanemom]

I will pipe into this very emotional event as both a parent of a peanut allergic child and a former (just last year) school nurse. You have every right to be upset or even irate that the school did not follow protocol. The teacher should have called the nurse immediately when the exposure was noted. If your child's allergy is severe, she should have an epi pen in a fanny pack at all times. She should have a care plan for the teacher, assistants and substitutes. In our school we dealt with allergies with a 504 plan. The nurse needs to educated the teacher better.

As far as a class exposure, even the best teachers will miss allergens. It will happen in a peanut free classroom. Unfortunately having the teacher or the nurse approve food for the classroom is a dangerous legal liability. Only a parent should approve the food for the allergic child. There are many names for foods that even the most careful nurse could miss.

You may want to talk to the principal and teacher and have all food eaten in the cafeteria, especially for KG snack. It will keep food out of the classroom. In the event of parties, you can be listed in the 504 plan as the final approval for all food brought into the party and insist that only store bought food be brought into the classroom.

Allergies can be managed in a school. I worked for 5 years in a school with many severely allergic children and never had a major incident. The worse I experienced was the parent of a severe milk allergy child packing a yogurt into her daughters lunch. She informed the cafeteria hostess who said that since her mom packed it, it must be safe. The 8 year old asked to verify with the nurse (which all teachers and staff were told to allow the allergic children to come and see me whenever they were uncertain) and I called her mother who realized her mistake.

Remember, the entire school or even a classroom cannot be guaranteed to be allergy free. There are too many variables. It is essential that the staff recognizes a reaction.

Please look into the Food Allergy Network, FAAN, prior to your meeting, they have a lot of good information.

[Lovin Learnin]

I have never been fond of them eating in the classroom. They came in from playing on the playground for snack, pumped hand sanitizer on my dd's hands and handed her something to eat. She had many instances of vomitting and upset stomach that went on for months. Finally, I was visiting the classroom. I yanked that snack from her hands and took her to wash. I stopped that practice. It clearly says on the bottle to WAIT until the product dries, and toxic if ingested. :lol:

 

And OP wants peanut free, LOL - the irony. They were poisoning my girl for months! (Meant with a great deal of humor!)

 

Yep. My dd is allergic to hand sanitizer. Her hands turn bright red and swell. Her kindergarten teacher made them get a squirt every time she saw their hands go to their face. It took me a couple of weeks to figure out why her hands were so red. We put a stop to that quick.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

her pen is in a lock box.

 

Oh my goodness. As a nurse who worked critical care for years, I can tell you that this is horrible from a medical point of view since every minute counts when it comes to giving epi-pens for anaphylaxis. The meds should be follow your daughter as well as someone trained to recognize anaphylaxis and to give it.

 

What do they do when they cannot find the person with the key? I would fight to get that policy changed asap.

[Twilight Woods]

I will pipe into this very emotional event as both a parent of a peanut allergic child and a former (just last year) school nurse. You have every right to be upset or even irate that the school did not follow protocol. The teacher should have called the nurse immediately when the exposure was noted. If your child's allergy is severe, she should have an epi pen in a fanny pack at all times. She should have a care plan for the teacher, assistants and substitutes. In our school we dealt with allergies with a 504 plan. The nurse needs to educated the teacher better.

As far as a class exposure, even the best teachers will miss allergens. It will happen in a peanut free classroom. Unfortunately having the teacher or the nurse approve food for the classroom is a dangerous legal liability. Only a parent should approve the food for the allergic child. There are many names for foods that even the most careful nurse could miss.

You may want to talk to the principal and teacher and have all food eaten in the cafeteria, especially for KG snack. It will keep food out of the classroom. In the event of parties, you can be listed in the 504 plan as the final approval for all food brought into the party and insist that only store bought food be brought into the classroom.

Allergies can be managed in a school. I worked for 5 years in a school with many severely allergic children and never had a major incident. The worse I experienced was the parent of a severe milk allergy child packing a yogurt into her daughters lunch. She informed the cafeteria hostess who said that since her mom packed it, it must be safe. The 8 year old asked to verify with the nurse (which all teachers and staff were told to allow the allergic children to come and see me whenever they were uncertain) and I called her mother who realized her mistake.

Remember, the entire school or even a classroom cannot be guaranteed to be allergy free. There are too many variables. It is essential that the staff recognizes a reaction.

Please look into the Food Allergy Network, FAAN, prior to your meeting, they have a lot of good information.

 

The school told me that her meds HAD to be kept in the lock box in the nurse office-no exceptions. Im wondering why this is? I will have to get clarification on this tomorrow. Her action plan form was given to us and signed by her allergist and PMD-which I think was taken from FAAN. She is not allowed to eat anything brought in for parties. I send her with something extra if need be for those occasions. I am actually thinking about not letting her go to the class party for Halloween now even though she is looking forward to it. I might just have to be there for that one.

[Twilight Woods]

Oh my goodness. As a nurse who worked critical care for years, I can tell you that this is horrible from a medical point of view since every minute counts when it comes to giving epi-pens for anaphylaxis. The meds should be follow your daughter as well as someone trained to recognize anaphylaxis and to give it.

 

What do they do when they cannot find the person with the key? I would fight to get that policy changed asap.

 

I will be addressing this issue tomorrow as well.

[jplain]

I will be addressing this issue tomorrow as well.

Karen, do you have the right to have an IEP (I've also seen it referred to as an ISP on this thread) drafted for your daughter?

That would be more binding (wrt to the school's responsibility for making her educational environment safe) than an action plan.

[DianeW88]

I do understand that there can be some amount of control in elementary school classrooms (although I do think a lot of that is an illusion), but what happens when a severely allergic child gets to be junior high or high school age? Those kids buy and bring in their own foods ALL THE TIME and they eat it during class as well. No matter what the rules are. They also don't give a rip about the kid sitting next to them with the peanut allergy...they're still going to sneak in bites of their Snickers bars during class. And most likely drop the wrapper on the floor and touch everything around them with their contaminated hands. How do schools manage such severe allergies among older kids?

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I will be addressing this issue tomorrow as well.

 

I know many schools try to use this locked box policy but it is wrong and I got one public school and 2 private schools to not do this. I also think teachers and other staff members can be trained to recognize anaphylaxis and give these meds by taking a American Heart Assoication or Red Cross First Aid and CPR courses. One does not need to be a nurse to give epi-pens.

[Twilight Woods]

Karen, do you have the right to have an IEP (I've also seen it referred to as an ISP on this thread) drafted for your daughter?

That would be more binding (wrt to the school's responsibility for making her educational environment safe) than an action plan.

 

From what I was told an IEP can only be implemented if it is impacting her "education". My eldest goes to school just for Math and we have an IEP in place for her b/c of her anxiety so they can make modification for her learning/testing. Im not sure if DD #2 would fall into the IEP category but I will have to ask about it tomorrow.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I do understand that there can be some amount of control in elementary school classrooms (although I do think a lot of that is an illusion), but what happens when a severely allergic child gets to be junior high or high school age? Those kids buy and bring in their own foods ALL THE TIME and they eat it during class as well. No matter what the rules are. They also don't give a rip about the kid sitting next to them with the peanut allergy...they're still going to sneak in bites of their Snickers bars during class. And most likely drop the wrapper on the floor and touch everything around them with their contaminated hands. How do schools manage such severe allergies among older kids?

 

IMO this is a discipline problem. How can a teacher not see a kid eating in their class? I would send them to principle's office for breaking the rules.

[WeeBeaks]

They should have followed protocol. I'll go that far. As for the rest, I think you are fighting a battle that probably can't be won.

 

I come at this with a DS who goes into shock at peanuts (and many other nuts) as well. He went to an early learning center (at age 3) for about 4 months. During that time he had two nut exposures, one where the teacher HANDED him the peanut cracker after there were signs up about his allergy. They then decided not to administer his Epi-pen and called me. I informed them to administer it and call an ambulance as they said he was swollen and wheezing. They refused, stating I needed to come get him. Luckily I was 2 miles away. I administered it, gave Benadryl and drove him to the ER (again about 3 miles away). We got a nice plan in place, signs, education, the whole thing. Next time another kid had a PB&J and smeared it all over the table. They said they cleaned it up right away. Unfortunately, a little tiny bit remained, he touched it and started swelling up again. They did administer Epi-Pen this time at least. I started reading about homeschooling, and thus our journey began.

 

Yes, the PS should be accountable. I just as a parent think there are too many fail points in the system for a truly life-threatening allergy to function in a mainstream classroom without a fairly high risk percentage there. That percentage is not something I'm willing to gamble DS's life on in the younger years. Actually probably now he would be fine (he is 9).

 

I'm very sympathetic to your cause, but I don't think they can in any way guarantee a nut-free classroom. I just don't because people just don't understand how severe it can be and probably never will. Even friends of ours, who know the severity and love him, have goofed. Really severe goofs. And you have to refight the battle new teacher, new set of parents, on and on.

 

Again though, not following the rescue plan? That is inexcusable.

[Twilight Woods]

I know many schools try to use this locked box policy but it is wrong and I got one public school and 2 private schools to not do this. I also think teachers and other staff members can be trained to recognize anaphylaxis and give these meds by taking a American Heart Assoication or Red Cross First Aid and CPR courses. One does not need to be a nurse to give epi-pens.

 

I agree. My 10 y/o knows how to use the epi pen [not that I expect her to be able to use it in a high tense situation] BUT she can also give instructions on HOW to use it as well and recognize anaphylaxis...so If my 10 y/o can I think an adult can be easily trained.

[DianeW88]

IMO this is a discipline problem. How can a teacher not see a kid eating in their class? I would send them to principle's office for breaking the rules.

 

Kids are allowed to eat in most classrooms here (high school age kids). Vending machines with peanut products are all over the schools. And in junior high, they just take a bite when the teacher isn't looking.

[Evergreen State Sue]

My ds also has a peanut allergy so I know where you are coming from. I agree with the general consensus of the other posters that the school should be following the rules to keep your daughter safe.

 

I wanted to ask how your daughter is doing? Did she have a reaction from touching the peanut? If not, that is a good thing! Sometimes incidents like this can help you see the severity of the allergy. I'm not trying to diminish your concern for your daughter's safety, I'm just trying to find one positive to this situation. Blessings!

[msjones]

IMO this is a discipline problem. How can a teacher not see a kid eating in their class? I would send them to principle's office for breaking the rules.

 

 

A teacher may be working individually with a student, or in the back of the room working with a group, or looking down as he writes on an overhead rather than constantly scanning the room for students sneaking snacks.

 

Even the hardest-working, most effective, highly-trained teacher cannot watch every child every minute. It's not a discipline problem, it's just fact.

[delaney]

From what I was told an IEP can only be implemented if it is impacting her "education". My eldest goes to school just for Math and we have an IEP in place for her b/c of her anxiety so they can make modification for her learning/testing. Im not sure if DD #2 would fall into the IEP category but I will have to ask about it tomorrow.

Well let me say that when my son was in first grade I had a 504 plan written up b/c not breathing IS an impact on education. I pushed-they wrote it. I wanted it in writing that they knew they were serving chopped walnuts in the cafeteria even though it could kill my kid. You can get anything if you yell loud enough.

In our school systems the teachers HAVE to be epi-pen trained. I bring them oranges and my old ones so they can practice.

That is why the younger ones are not in PS(well one of the many reasons).