Happy New Year! It’s the time of year to start thinking about registration for preschool and kindergarten in 2010-11.Hard to believe I know, but the sooner you get started in this process, the easier it will be. All four of my children have had IEP’s (Individualized Education Plans) and Section 504 Plans so for me this process always took a bit more time and work. Registering your food allergic child for preschool is particularily difficult and can be overwhelming. Snack time is a big part of a preschool curriculum. Here are some of my favorite tips on how to ensure your FA child’s safety and inclusion in their class:
- Set up a meeting with the Preschool Director or School Principal first. I have found that the fastest route to get getting the most accurate information on school procedures and policies is to have a face to face meeting with the preschool director or school principal. Keep the meeting brief, but be sure to educate them about the severity of your child’s allergies, and ask for specific information in how the school handles snack time, birthday parties, class parties and food allergy reactions/emergencies. Discuss what modifications can be made to the individual classroom your child will be in, i.e. designating a Peanut Free Room, or only allow certain snacks to be brought into the classroom that are allergen safe.
- Schedule a meeting to determine your child’s eligibility for a Section 504 Plan. This document is CRITICAL in managing your rights as a parent and for keeping your FA child safe at school. Children with food allergies can be considered “disabled” under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It requires schools to provide “free, appropriate education” regardless of any condition, physical, mental or emotional. A FA child’s personal safety is compromised if dangerous food allergens are present in a classroom, and therefore could fall into this category. Young children cannot be their own advocates, therefore it is essential to have this legal document on file at their school. It protects them, and holds the school accountable for safe practices in dealing with snack time, etc.
- Discuss a Snack Time Policy with the staff NOW, so there is no confusion later. When my son John first started preschool at age 2, I admit I was still naive to the whole snack time process, and how it would eventually be difficult to police everything that came into the classroom. I gave a list of approved snack items that parents were able to send in, but learned the hard way that ingredients change in a moment’s notice, and non-FA parents aren’t going to read the labels as closely as you or I would. If you’re dealing with multiple food allergies, the best policy is fresh fruit, dried fruit and veggies at snack time. Arrange for the teacher to send this letter out at the beginning of the school year, so everyone is on the same page from day one.
- Write a Food Allergy Action Plan with your child’s school. This document can be downloaded at www.foodallergy.org (FAAN). It includes a step by step process on how to handle a food allergic reaction should one occur at school. This document, along with a 504 Plan is critical in keeping your child safe at school.
- Talk with you child about their food allergies and eating at school. Your child may have some fears about eating away from the safety of their home. This is especially true for children who have gone through the terrifying experience of an anaphylactic reaction. Ease their fears, tell them you are working with their school to set up rules to keep them safe and remind them that school is a fun, safe place to be.
Most of what I learned about navigating through the process of sending a FA child to school was through trial and error. Like many of you, I’ve faced parents and teachers who were willing to help, and others who never understood the seriousness of food allergies. I think the more I tried to educate about food allergies in general the better. It’s hard to keep your emotions in check when discussing the life and death issue of keeping your child safe. But it is best to keep all discussions with school personnel neutral and on a matter-of-fact level. I’ve found school administrators are more responsive this way. Good luck and let me know what tips have worked for you!
Hi Kelly-
As a teacher certified K-12, I cannot agree or emphasize more how important and what a fantastic idea a 504/IEP is for an FA child. I am signing my FA son up for preschool in January and you bet I will be following these tips and asking for a 504!
From my experience as a teacher, a 504/IEP will 1.) bring the severity of the allergy to the attention of the teacher at the beginning of the year. The nurse does not hand out her “list” of health problems until all physicals are done (a month into the year sometimes). However, a 504/IEP is distributed typically the day teachers receive their class roster. 2.) require an annual meeting with all teachers, staff and parents involved with the student. 3.) Legally hold the school/teacher responsible for following the plan. A caseworker (usually the school nurse or counselor sometimes a SPED teacher) will be responsible for the 504/IEP and be the contact person. Therefore, the seriousness of the plan is readily apparent to the teacher and staff.
Do not be afraid to ask for one of these with your FA child! All the school can do is say “no” (which they won’t do because of the liability). We teachers LOVE knowing about our FA children and want to care and protect them just as much as their parents!
I always see that all you have to do is request a 504 plan, and you will be granted one. That has not been my experience, and my first grader had all the paperwork, a severe allergy to dairy and eggs, asthma and an unrelated neurological condition with a shunt. He has a health plan, but he doesn’t qualify for a 504 unless the disability affects his academics, which it doesn’t.
Thanks so much Deanna for your comments. Jennifer, let me further explain what I mean by requesting a meeting for eligibility for a Section 504 Plan. If a child has a specific disability but doesn’t require special education services, he or she doesn’t qualify for special education but could receive accomodations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (IDEA). To be eligible for the 504, a child must have a physical or mental impairment. My son John, who is severely allergic to several foods qualifies for the 504 under this umbrella and receives specific accomodations in his classroom and specials classes (ie Spanish, Music, etc) in order to assure his safety. He is still too young to effectively advocate and manage his own food allergy safety. My daughter also has a 504 Plan, because if a Visual Proccessing Disorder, again a physical impairment, that affects her ability to stay focused on tasks in the classroom, etc. Additionally, John and my other two sons, David and Matthew have IEP’s (Individualized Education Plans) because they were tested and determined to have developmental disabilities that affect their EDUCATION. IEP’s are managed by a caseworker and minutes and goals are assigned to your child to help address their educational needs. In summary, Section 504 only provides accomodations to help your physically impaired child, the IEP is more rigid in that it outright provides education services specific to your child’s needs. I hope this helps to explain why a Section 504 Plan IN ADDITION to a food allergy action plan is a wise idea when sending your FA child to school. Thanks for your comment!
While this information is all very overwhelming I do appreciate you taking the time to spell it all out for us.
I made all my preschool calls this week and getting my information together for my meetings with the school directors.
Thanks Liz. Try not get too overwhelmed by the above. Remember, as a FA parent you are only asking for meeting to determine eligibility for a 504 plan, and to also write a Food Allergy Action Plan (downloadable at http://www.foodallergy.org). Once you inform the potential schools of your child’s allergies, and determine a plan of action in order to manage those allergies at school, you’ve done your homework. And IEP has nothing to do with this, I was just explaining the difference in the two. Let me know how it works for you!
It is not so much the information that I find overwhelming. I believe that information is power and the more information the better. It is just thinking of all the things there are that could go wrong and if I could just think of everything ahead of time I could worry less but I know deep down that is impossible.
Excellent info. It’s been a few years since my FA son went to preschool, but I still remember that feeling deep in my gut – fear and anxiety mixed with a sense of being out of control. Having an involved and understanding principal is wonderful! Thanks for the tips and the great site. Can’t wait to come back for more.
My son, who is 7, has very similar allergies to your son, but the school here would not cover the accomodations under the 504 umbrella. He has a health plan though, and that seems to work OK. It is a big public school, and they have several kids with serious food allergies and also kid with diabetes. I am glad your school was accomodating, but I just don’t know how universal your experience is. The law gives some wiggle room. Either way, I think working with the teachers is key. I have found a lot of teachers are quite accustom to dealing with the issue, which is both reassuring and sad at the same time.
Jennifer, I totally understand. Schools have the option to deny eligibility for the 504. I’ve been able to get the approval for the 504 at two different school districts, but obviously every school district handles it differently. As you said, working directly with teachers and having great communication with them is the best course of action. I’m so sorry your school opted not to give your son one, but at least you have a health plan. Liz, all of us food allergy mamas have felt, or feel what you are feeling. It is indeed overwhelming, and sometimes more so than other times. I remember feeling VERY overwhelmed last summer when my son took his first plane ride. It was really hard to get past the feelings of what could go wrong. Hang in there…and know we all understand.
Thanks very much for this information. My kindergarten daughter has mild to moderate allergies to Peanuts, Eggs and Tomatoes. After years of increasing bouts of hives and tummy aches, she was finally tested 6 months ago, so this is all relatively new to us. While her allergies are not life threatening, we have eliminated all these items successfully and she has been a new girl since! Recently she ingested some type of cross contamination at a restaurant (we’re not sure what it was, although we suspect it was egg) and ended up covered from head to toe in big itchy hives for 3 days. Benadryl gives her a little relief but also causes her to be very tired, which interferes with her learning. That said, I have been reminded how much we need to avoid these foods at all costs.
Her new kindergarten class has a snack plan in place where a calendar indicates which child is responsible for snacks for the entire class for each day (actually, this is a grade-wide snack plan). When I first told the teacher about the allergies during orientation, she asked me to provide a list of “safe” snacks and I spent HOURS compiling a list of options. I also offered for parents to send in money and I’d do all the snack shopping. School policy doesn’t allow that and today the teacher called to tell me she sent a note home addressing the PEANUT allergy only (another child also has this allergy). Her message was that “we can just worry about the egg/tomato issues on a case by case basis”. I am very worried about this and have asked for a meeting with the teacher and the nurse, but honestly, I don’t even know what to ask for. I realize I can just send in a snack for my daughter every day but I don’t think it’s right to make her feel singled out every day. On the other hand, I can’t be there to monitor and read labels every day, either. Eggs are in many prepackaged cookies and snacks and tomatoes are used in BBQ flavoring, not to mention many cheese flavored crackers and other chips, etc. (I’ve been so surprised how many items contain these ingredients!)
What do you suggest I do/say in the meeting or even prior to it? I don’t want to impose on any other children/parents, but I also don’t want my daughter to miss out on what could be a normal snacktime experience.
Any help or insight would be very appreciated. Thank you.
Dear Ms Rudnicki,
While I sympathize with those children who are born with or acquire food allergies, I do not, however, agree with the notion that classrooms should be made 100% food safe. I have a child who only obtains his protein from milk and peanut butter (will not eat fruit, etc). Based on this “504 plan”, should my son forego eating the entire day until he can return home into his own “safe” environment? I wonder sometimes if we as a society have become too “specialized” and too “internalized” for our own good.
An equally concerned parent in NC
Bottom line IF YOUR CHILD HAS A RESTRICTION…..WHY SHOULD OTHERS BE SUBJECTED TO IT! Think about what you are imposing upon other children/their families/ etc. They don’t have the issue, but YOU are creating one for them…NOT FAIR that your child has the health issues, DEFINITELY NOT FAIR that you are imposing your restrictions upon others.
(from a mom of an ASTHMATIC, animal allergic, food based allergins)