Celebrate awareness! Celebrate policy! Celebrate saving lives! Today I am celebrating pioneering Management-of-Students-with-Food-Anaphylaxis policy that is being introduced in our school district, which is the first in the state too! Without policy, teachers, staff and parents must wade through the waters of managing life threatening food allergies at school without a vetted source. Now, we have one in our school district! The policy will answer many questions, ease stress and possibly save lives.
In the spirit of cheering on food allergy policy, I’ve included some links below to non-district specific policies for you to check out! One of my most favorite policies remains National School Board Association Food Allergy Policy since they offer incredible checklist to assist with everything from identifying students with food allergies to medication protocol.
The bottom line is to always meet with your school nurse about your child’s health, be it managing food allergies, asthma or any other health challenge and discuss the school’s policy, direction received from your physician and how you can be supportive. My personal rule is to never ask or leave anyone else to champion my child’s health.
Sampling of Various School Food Allergy Policies that I copied from my School Resource for Nurses, teacher and administrators page on this blog, (which clearly applies to all of us school aged children)
National Association of School Nurses Position Statement-Food Allergies and Anaphylaxis-The role of the school nurse position statement. Okay, this is not policy, but it speaks volumes to the commitment from school nurses.
National School Boards Association Food Allergy Guidelines (PDF) developed by the National School Boards Association–this is my current FAVORITE of all the guidelines right now!!!
School Guidelines–yet another document created by the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network–worth the read to help teachers understand a school’s role in managing food allergies.
Management of Students with Food Anaphylaxis policy. My State’s first food allergy guidelines!!!
Food Allergy Guidelines for Patients--the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (a department of the National Institute of Health) has created a formal federal guidelines standard of treatment and management for food allergies. This is the Patient’s guide to these standards. It is a tad long, but well worth the read. This guideline will help keep all of us on the same page of information.
Congratulations Washoe County School District in Northern Nevada for establishing the first Management of Students with Food Anaphylaxis policy in the Silver State!!! Las Vegas will be establishing their own policy in the future too.
I’m celebrating by testing out a new Sunbutter recipe…adapted from a friend’s off the hook amazing Soynut Butter dessert recipe! Wish me culinary luck since she is an amazing baker.
Hope you raise a glass of rice in celebration with us! Have a great day-Caroline
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One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..
Congratulations on the policy! I can imagine the time, effort, frustrations, etc in getting that baby into the school district! ER.
We’re all so very pleased!!!
the WCSD policy is very comprehensive, but i worry about this:
‘Note: It is imperative that school personnel immediately call 911 following the administration of an EpiPen even if the symptoms appear to have been resolved.’
school officials are instructed to call 911 AFTER the onset of anaphylactic symptom and AFTER the administration of epi. i think that valuable time is lost by not calling 911 sooner & i hope that none of our students pay for this oversight with their lives.
From my understanding, when someone is responding to an emergency, another person is calling 911, but administration of Epi Pen is primary. Of course, direction from each child’s physician trumps all. In our 504 plan we actually outline the pattern…Epi Pen while an adult calls 911, then call parents.
Judie, I think no matter what, we all must remember these are guidelines and that a 504 plan and planning face-to-face with the school nurse, with physician orders in hand is the right thing to do!
Caroline, Congratulations on the adoption of this policy! You should be proud that you have helped your county (and the state of Nevada) take a huge step toward protecting its children with food allergies! Keep up your wonderful advocacy and thanks so much for allowing our Safe Snack Guide to play a part in the policy you have crafted!
We featured you and your efforts in a posting on SnackSafely.com today! http://wp.me/p1SKmL-gO
Thank you so much for the support you give our food allergy community!
i agree that much has been accomplished since your arrival to NV, Caroline. food allergic & asthmatic children (and their families) have a local resource for education and advocacy. i hope to continue in your footsteps. you are a very positive role model for all of us.
Judie, you are far too kind, but truly we are doing all of this work together! I can’t even count how many times I’ve seen you roll up your sleeve for food allergy and asthma work?? I don’t have enough fingers or toes!
it takes a village…