Elementary Pupils Enjoying Healthy Lunch In CafeteriaDoes your child have food allergies? If so, sending him or her to school can feel overwhelming. If you fear the way teachers, coaches, school nurses, cafeteria staff, and other students may react to your child’s food allergies, now is the time to learn how to proactively manage food allergies at school. Use this guide from Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) as a valuable resource.

Become Educated

First, learn everything you can about your child’s condition. What exactly is he or she allergic to, and what are the symptoms? Is epinephrine the best treatment, and how do you administer it?

Second, find out what approaches the school takes to protect students with food allergies. Because this health problem has become more prominent in recent years, it’s likely the school already has food allergy management techniques in place for your peace of mind.

Provide the School with Information About Your Child’s Food Allergies & Medication

The most concise way to explain your child’s allergies, symptoms, treatments, and emergency contact information is to fill out a Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan from FARE (or a food allergy form provided by the school). Make sure everyone who is likely to come in contact with your child at school has access to this information, including:

  • Teachers
  • School nurses
  • Administrators
  • Cafeteria staff
  • Coaches
  • Maintenance staff

Reduce Food Allergens in the Classroom

Now that you’ve spread the word about your child’s situation, the next step is to reduce his or her exposure to food allergies at school. This starts in the classroom, where food sometimes plays a prominent role. Make the following requests of your child’s teacher to help reduce food allergens:

  • Use nonfood items to reward students and celebrate birthdays.
  • Require packaged foods in the classroom only, which feature ingredient labels to improve safety.
  • Offer to bring enough “safe snacks” for the entire class on special occasions.
  • Have students store their lunches in a specified location outside the classroom.
  • Send letters home to parents informing them that their child shares a classroom with a student who has food allergies.
  • Make sure your child’s Emergency Care Plan is available for substitute teachers.

Consider School Meals

The cafeteria is the most likely place for your child to come in contact with food allergies at school. You can control what your child eats by sending a lunch prepared at home. Even if you want to utilize the school meal program, you can request that cafeteria staff take the following precautions:

  • Post menus ahead of time so parents can spot potentially unsafe meal offerings.
  • Avoid cross-contamination in the food preparation and serving areas.
  • Create seating arrangements that minimize allergen exposure while ensuring no child sits alone.

Prepare for Field Trips

When a class trip takes your child out of the typical classroom setting, you can assure his or her safety by knowing the answers to the following questions before field trip day:

  • Is your child allowed to bring his or her own lunch? If food is provided, who will make sure it’s safe?
  • Who will carry the Emergency Care Plan and epinephrine?
  • Who will watch for symptoms of an allergic reaction, administer medication, and make emergency phone calls if necessary?

Stop Bullying

Children with food allergies may be subject to teasing or bullying. The worst case scenario is if the bully intentionally exposes your child to the food he or she is allergic to, which could have life-threatening consequences.

Talk to the school about any anti-bullying techniques they have in place. Make sure teachers are on the lookout for such behavior and stop it immediately. Watch for signs that your child is being bullied, such as depression, asking to stay home from school, struggling academically, or experiencing social anxiety.

Encourage Self-Management

As your child grows older and more independent, he or she can learn to avoid risky situations and take on more responsibilities. When appropriate, teach your child to do the following:

  • Carry prescribed medication at all times. If this isn’t possible, know where the medication is stored nearby.
  • Wear medical ID jewelry to help emergency personnel recognize what’s wrong.
  • Read food labels to help avoid food allergens.
  • Don’t eat food with unknown ingredients.
  • Don’t share food with others.
  • Wash hands regularly.
  • Learn to identify what an allergic reaction feels like, and tell an adult immediately.
  • Report bullying to an adult right away.

Seek Food Allergy Testing at Spine Correction Center in Fort Collins

If you’re still in the early stages of managing food allergies at school, and you still need to identify what your child is allergic to, visit Spine Correction Center for an ALCAT test. We’ll help you interpret the results and suggest the best course of action.

To schedule a free consultation, please contact Spine Correction Center by calling our Fort Collins office at (970) 658-5115. We look forward to hearing from you.