Asthma safe schools

Access to Medication at School

You need to know if your child will have access to life saving medication at school, at the precise time she needs it. You need to know if she will be able to take preventive medication according to a schedule drawn up by the doctor. Are there people available who know exactly what must be done when a child has an asthma attack? These considerations are doubly important if the school follows a blanket no-drugs policy.

To assess how asthma friendly a school is, here are several questions you should ask.

• Does the school monitor and control the quality of air indoors? This is important because asthma attacks are often triggered by airborne substances including pollen, animal dander, pet hair, dust mites and so on. Check if the classrooms have upholstered furniture or carpets, which can be a source of dust mites.
  
  Does the school use strong chemicals for cleaning? Are there paint fumes from a recent or ongoing paint job? Are there adequate pest control measures to check cockroaches and other pests (cockroach allergens are a very common trigger for asthma attacks)?

• Does the school have a plan in place for dealing with asthma attack cases? Are the teachers and all other adults aware of how to help a person having an attack? Since this disease can strike unpredictably at any time, it is critical that the adults present be able to take care of the child.

• Are the school premises totally tobacco-free? This is important for asthmatics. No smoking should be allowed by anyone anywhere in the school - either indoors or out.

• Is the child allowed to carry an emergency inhaler with her at all times? If the child is prone to asthma attacks, having an inhaler close at hand could save her life. Unfortunately, there are many schools that do not allow children to have any kind of medication with them - even essential, life-saving drugs. You may want to keep your child far away from such schools. Remember, it is not enough if your child is allowed to keep her inhaler at school locked away in a cabinet. That can cause delays in receiving medication which can put her life at risk. Such arrangements are completely unacceptable for asthmatics.
  
  At the end of the day, your child's life is far more valuable than any rules and regulations imposed by school managements. Keep that in mind if the school administration attempts to bully you into submission.

• Does the school have a nurse available throughout the day, every day? Some schools do, but this is not always feasible. At the minimum, a nurse's services should be available at regular times to students to take care of asthma and other medical emergencies.

• Does the school promote physical activities in a safe manner for asthma patients? As an example, children with asthma may need to take preventive medication half an hour before beginning physical activity.

• Asthma is a very common health condition these days. Some estimates say as much as seven percent of the population is affected by the disease and certain schools are said to have a full quarter of their students affected by asthma. Does the school educate both adults and students about the disease? Everyone needs to know the essential facts about the disease.

Ensure that the school is a safe place for children with asthma before you enroll your child. If necessary, talk to the principal, the teachers and the parent-teacher organization to create a safe environment for your asthmatic child.