To
make a long story short, I realized this year that the "education of
teachers" as outlined in my daughter's 504 essentially involves a
10-minute lesson on how to administer an Epi-Pen. That's it. That's all. And
that's sooooo clearly not enough.
Even
though my daughter is in 4th grade now, it seems like each year I think of
something new I should have asked about, or been more diligent about. I'm so sorry I never thought to be specific about the actual content of the educational tools being used (or not used as it seems.) It's so
hard to anticipate every possible scenario that could be dangerous, and quite
frankly, that's a scary place for most food allergy parents to go.
The
National School Board Association makes it a little easier, with this great
Food Allergy Resource Guide I recently found on their web site. The checklist
in the back is one of the best I've ever seen. l love how it not only outlines
items that should be "included" in the plan, but also distinguishes
as to whether they are actually "implemented" or not. I know of many
schools that have great food allergy guidelines on paper, but less-than-great
follow through in adhering to the policies.
For
schools that could still use a little help, Mylan has launched a new campaign
that runs through November 9, 2012. "Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis" is
a nationwide college scholarship opportunity aimed to help schools
become more aware of and better prepared to support students with
life-threatening allergies. By gathering great ideas from students, they hope
to make our schools a safer environment for everyone! Kids grades 1 thru 12
have a chance to win one of several $2,000 college scholarships and best of
all, promote greater awareness of food allergies in our schools.
Do
you know of a school that does a great job of educating their teachers and the
community at large about food allergies? If so, I would love to hear about it.
What types of resources, curriculum, and training procedures are they using?
With any luck, my school district will be implementing something similar in the
days and years to come. Fingers crossed ...
