QUALITY LIVING - Q&A to Asthma at School   Home | Asthma Assistant | Glossary | Disclaimer   Is it Asthma | Society & Self | Take Control | Treatment or Cure | Quality Living

Should my child be able to do everything at school? With the correct knowledge and care there is no reason why most children with asthma should not achieve their full potential. This includes participating in all aspects of school life including sports. Occasionally, some children with severe asthma may find they are unable to participate fully. If your child has frequent asthma symptoms, is often disturbed at night and misses time off school because of their asthma, make sure to address this situation. Sometimes there can be reasons for severe uncontrolled asthma which can be resolved. This is explained in the page What to Look for. Talk to your GP or asthma nurse if you are unsure. If you child's asthma is being controlled as well as possible but s/he still suffers symptoms then discuss your concerns with the school. How can I help my child get the most out of school? There are a number of ways in which you can help your child get the most out of school. Some of these are summarised below. (1) Make sure the school knows that your child has asthma. It is best to make personal contact with the head teacher and/or form teacher to discuss your child's individual asthma. (2) Explain the particular medications your child is on and when they must be taken. (3) Make sure your child either carries his/her reliever or has immediate access whenever it is needed. (4) Ensure the teachers know how to deal with an asthma attack. (5) Keep the school informed if the medications change in any way. (6) Make sure they know your child's triggers. (7) Ensure the school have a spare reliever inhaler which is labelled and in date in case your child looses theirs. (8) Make the school aware of any particular concerns you have about your child's asthma. For example, shy children may need a little prompting to take their reliever. (9) Ensure they have an emergency contact number for you. (10) Take your child regularly for review with his/her doctor or nurse, particularly before the start of a school term. (11) Make sure you help keep your child's asthma under control by correct use of medication. This will mean they are much less likely to have an asthma attack at school. Are schools generally well informed about asthma? Disturbingly, past surveys indicate that many teachers have little understanding about asthma. Failings include not knowing how to deal with an attack, locking away reliever medications in cupboards or drawers, and believing asthma to be psychosomatic. How much should I expect the school to know about asthma? The high incidence of asthma in children means that in a class of 30 children an average of 4 will suffer from asthma in the UK. It is therefore very important that all school staff have a knowledge of asthma and how to deal with the condition. Ideally, each school should have its own individual policy on asthma. Ideally the school should: (1) Maintain records of every child in the school who has asthma and the medications they take at home and school. (2) Recognise that all children must have immediate access to their reliever inhalers. (3) Make sure all staff are informed about asthma and how to cope with an asthma attack. (4) Ensure the school is asthma friendly. This could include no smoking on school premises, not keeping furry pets an school and good ventilation in science laboratories. (5) Make sure all children who have asthma participate in all school activities including PE. (6) Help other children to understand asthma and extend a sympathetic approach to other pupils who suffer from it. Where can my school get information on asthma? There is a wealth of information for schools on asthma, in the form of leaflets, books and videos. The charity National Asthma Campaign UK have produced an excellent School Pack on asthma full of information and advice on the subject. It also contains guidelines on setting up a school asthma policy. Health professionals trained in asthma care will often provide talks to schools about asthma. Many UK school nurses are now trained in asthma care and are able to give talks to school staff.

Topic "Quality Living" Updated 14th August 2003

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