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School Tips
It's helpful to have a nebulizer or holding chamber at school should your child need to use it. Most schools have a compressor but each child should have their own nebulizer at school. Additionally, children who are old enough to use MDIs should always carry their medications with them in their backpacks. Check with the school nurse at the beginning of the school year to let her know that your child has asthma and may require medications during school hours. The nurse should be informed of the child's regularly scheduled medications, as well as any additional medications that may be required when the child is recovering from an asthma exacerbation. Most schools require that a medication administration "permission" form be completed by the child's physician. The school nurse should also have a copy of the child's asthma treatment plan.
Managing a Student's Asthma
When asthma is under control, your child should go to school and participate in all activities as desired.
Send your child to school if your child
- has just a stuffy nose, but no wheezing
- has mild wheezing that goes away after giving medicine
- can do the usual things at school
- has no trouble breathing
Keep your child home if your child
- has trouble breathing
- has wheezing that does not stop even after you give medicine
- is weak or tired and would have trouble doing things in school
- Check with your pediatrician regarding keeping home for fevers, and other problems.
Talk to your child's teachers and the school nurse about
- Your child's medicines
- Your child's asthma triggers
- The symptoms that your child gets signaling asthma is worsening
- What to do to manage an asthma attack. The nurse should refer to her School Asthma Treatment Plan, as completed by your child’s physician.
Teach your child how to handle an asthma attack at school
- Take rescue medications
- Tell an adult like a teacher (or have a friend tell the teacher)
- Go to the school nurse
How do some children feel about having asthma?
- Angry, frustrated, and left out when they can't do things
- Afraid that an attack could start anytime
- Afraid to try things, for fear of an attack
- Loss of confidence
- Guilty for being sick, for making the family change plans, for costing a lot of money, or for sending the family pet away
- Happy when they get out of doing things that they don't like to do
What do you do if your child is "using" his/her asthma as a reason to get out of doing things?
- Tell your child that you are trying to help him or her do most of the things that other children do. Find out why your child does not want to do something. Do not feel that you have to give in to your child. Set rules and stick to them. Keep the same amount of discipline no matter what happens with the asthma.
How does asthma make other people in the family feel?
Brothers and sisters may feel these things:
- Left out or jealous because they are not getting the same kind of attention
- Angry because the child with asthma does not have to do some chores
- Afraid that a brother or sister will have an asthma attack
- Guilty or sad because the child with asthma can't always do the same things that they can
- Upset that things in the bedroom will be changed
- Angry because they can't have a pet
Adults may feel these things:
- Scared when a child has an asthma attack
- Tired, frustrated and stressed out because of missed sleep, missed work, or extra housework
- Angry because they can't smoke inside
- Worried about medical bills
- Angry for passing on asthma from "your side of the family"
How can you deal with these feelings?
Talk to each person alone. Reassure them that these feelings are all normal, and that adjustment is always difficult at first. Then have a family talk to decide what to do about problems. Start with a problem that seems like it will be easy to solve and does not make people really upset, then move on to the more difficult issues. Try to talk to other parents of children with asthma. Investigate local support groups for parents with kids with asthma.
IF DESPITE YOUR BEST EFFORTS YOUR CHILD’S ASTHMA IS NOT WELL CONTROLLED OR WORSENS, PLEASE SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY.
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