You can’t be with your asthmatic child every hour of every day. Many children with asthma have symptoms during the school day! Getting the school involved with caring for your child’s asthma will help ensure that your child gets the care he needs when he has an attack.
Asthma attack prevention includes making sure your child understands the disease. Explain as much as he can understand. If your child is responsible enough, make sure he knows when and how to take his medicine, how to use his inhaler properly, and how to use a peak flow meter to measure his airflow.
Talk to your school officials — including your child’s classroom teacher, gym teacher, and the school nurse — about your child’s asthma. Explain the severity, identify the triggers, and provide a list of medications with dosage instructions. You and your doctor can write up this information as an asthma management plan so the school has a definite, written plan to follow in case of an asthma attack. Meet with school officials if you can to explain the asthma management plan in person. You may be allowed to visit your child’s classroom to look for potential asthma triggers — like dust or a classroom pet.
Make sure the school nurse has all the medications your child may need with proper written instructions. Keep track of how much of each medication the nurse has and replace them as needed. The school nurse and the classroom teacher will be your main contacts in regards to your child’s asthma. They can keep you informed of school policies and any attacks that happen during the school day. Your child’s physical education teacher has a special role to fill — making sure your child is included in gym class activities, as long as your child’s asthma is under control.
Your child’s school should have emergency instructions in case of a severe asthma attack. Provide them with a peak flow meter if possible — with instructions for use and what to do when the reading is low. The school nurse should have a clear idea of when to call you, when to call the doctor and when to call 911. Make sure that your asthma management plan lists your doctor’s phone number and contact information for you and other guardians for the child.