Children with asthma need a lot of support at school. They may need help from school staff to keep their asthma under control and to be able to do school activities.
You should give the school staff an asthma action plan that tells staff how to take care of your child's asthma. Ask your child’s doctor to write one.
The student and school staff should follow this asthma action plan. Your child should be able to take asthma medicines at school when needed.
School staff should know what things make your child’s asthma worse. These are called "triggers." Your child should be able to go to another location to get away from asthma triggers, if needed.
What Should Be in Your Child’s School Asthma Plan
Your child’s school asthma plan should include:
A brief history of your child’s asthma
Asthma symptoms to watch out for
Phone numbers or e-mail address of your child's doctor, nurse, and parent or guardian
A list of triggers that make your child’s asthma worse. These might be:
Smells from chemicals and cleaners
Grass and weeds
Smoke
Dust
Cockroaches
Rooms that are moldy or damp
The student's personal best peak flow reading
A list of the student's asthma medicines and how to take them. These include:
Medicines your child takes every day to control asthma
Quick-relief asthma medicines when your child has symptoms
What to do to make sure your child can be as active as possible during recess and physical education class
Your child’s doctor and parent or guardian's signature should be on this action plan.
Who Should Have a Copy of the Action Plan
The following people should have a copy of the plan:
Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. Rockville, MD. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, US Dept of Health and Human Services; 2007. NIH publications 08-4051.
Review Date:
5/26/2012
Reviewed By:
Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M. Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc.
