Children who have food or latex allergies should enjoy a safe environment at school, so that your participation in all the programmed activities is possible (that is, that you are not excluded), and at the same time your health is not put at risk. We have already seen that the rights of allergy sufferers from school should be integrated as part of the care they receive.
For it the family and the educational center must work closelyOnly then can children with allergies develop their school life normally and safely. The family is - a priori - the one who knows the child's allergy the most, and the measures to be put in place to avoid allergens; education professionals, meanwhile, have more and more information, and they are concerned with collecting all the data that facilitates the safety of children.
The role of the family
It is better than - since they are small - children receive self-care training, always adapting this to their age and maturity. In addition to this, the school must have a complete medical report detailing the child's allergy, the reaction pathways (inhalation, ingestion and / or contact), the alerts to be avoided, and the protocol of action in the event of an incoming reaction. From the Spanish Association of Food and Latex Allergy, they advise to present the information in writing and with an entry register to avoid confusion afterwards.
But in addition, there must be a personal communication with both the tutor and the principal, that includes the protocol of Action against allergies of AEPNAA. The school must have in its possession a list of products that may contain the allergen in a hidden way, emergency telephones, and the inclusion in Alert programs (of Andalusia or Galicia). Tutors can count on family collaboration to adapt complementary and extracurricular activities.
When the child goes to the dining room, it is also advisable to speak with the person responsible for it, as well as with the cook and monitors, and ensure that all kitchen personnel have access to rescue medication. Of course parents should have all the information related to the menus in advance
The school intervention
Currently, the teacher finds in class a group of students with different personal characteristics that make it necessary to attend, not only to academic or educational aspects, but also to the health conditions of their students. Between these personal conditions is allergy to food and / or latex which requires, by teachers, the adoption of measures aimed at the safe schooling of this student body.
To cope with this situation the teacher must have information and training on allergy, know the risk situations that occur in the educational field and the actions that must be carried out to create safe, allergen-free environments; and also, you should know how to recognize the initial symptoms of an allergic reaction and how to act when it has occurred.
The attention of children with allergies in school must meet two equally important premises, your physical security and your emotional well-being. This implies that the educational center must implement a series of actions aimed at creating safe environments that guarantee the inclusion of the child in all activities thus contributing to its adequate global development, paying special attention to its emotional development.
The child will be prevented from coming into contact with the allergen at mid-morning lunch and in the school canteen, with measures that do not involve the exclusion of the child (not leaving the group), providing the baseline menu to the parents well in advance so that it can be adapted and taking care that contamination does not occur due to improper handling of the child's food. Also take care that the child does not have access to the food of their peers, and that they do not touch their food.
The rescue medication will be in an accessible place and known by all staff. In case of reaction, the steps of the action protocol established by the doctor will be followed. The school staff must know this protocol and have training on the recognition of allergic reactions and administration of this medication.
Be inform peers of the child's allergy, teaching them how to take care of it so as not to provoke a reaction, creating a climate of solidarity and respect. The rest of the families in the class will be informed, as long as the parents have authorization.
At the end of the course there will be a evaluation to analyze the difficulties, both teachers and parents, and possible improvements.
In this whole process the family will be present. Your participation will ensure safe alternatives for the allergic child and can be developed through meetings with the director, tutor, teachers and kitchen and dining staff
More guidelines for safe schooling of children with food and / or latex allergy:
After communication by the family, all situations that may pose a risk to the child for the presence of the allergen will be reviewed, many times in a hidden way, planning them well in advance and with the aim of proposing safe alternatives, which guarantee the participation of this student body, since all activities contribute to the achievement of educational objectives.
In addition to lunch and the school canteen, risk situations occur throughout the school day. Food and latex are used as part of the explanations or activities in the area (planting legumes, making solutions with milk and cocoa, the chestnut, balloon experiments ...), also in the realization of crafts and cooking workshops; Even in the school material, the allergen can be hidden (chalk with milk and corn, erasers with latex).
These risk situations occur in all units of the educational center: the playground where food and packaging remains can be left, in the hygiene products of the toilets, in the latex material in the gym and in the laboratories ( especially in Secondary Education)
The educational center will arbitrate measures aimed at avoiding risk situations, adapting the different activities and spaces, so that the allergic child can participate in the same safety conditions as their peers. These measures they will be reflected in all the documents of the center (PEC, PGA and PC) and will be known by all the staff of the school.
Before finalizing I provide you with the Decalogue of the Spanish Society of Clinical Immunology and Pediatric Allergies, with information as brief as necessary.
Images | JaxStrong, Micah Sittig Source | AEPNAA families, AEPNAA SEICAP schools in Peques and More | Silvia Díaz: I would like food allergies to be integrated into society naturally and daily. Do we know how children feel allergic to food?
