school field trip and epi-pen question

[disneycruising]

My 2 boys are in Middle School in Northern California. We do not have full time nurses in our schools. They only come one day a week at each school. Instead they have trained ALL the teachers that deal with my boys: how to spot a reaction and how to use the epi pen. We keep one set of epi pens in the office. Plus, they each boy carry a set in their backpacks. My boys have been trained how to use them if needed. They also carry a cell phone if they need to call 911 or Mom at any time.

When they were in elementary school. The situation with nurses was the same. ALL teachers that directly worked with my sons had to be trained to use the epi pen. They were kept in the office. With the understanding that in an emergency someone would bring the epi to my son... Not send my son to the office. All classes had a walkie talkie to communitcate with the office even on the play ground. In 5th grade he was allowed to carry it in his back pack.

I think you need to a lot of research on what your state laws are in reguards to the schools dealing with LTFA. You might find that what the school is saying is not true. They are only thinking of there point of view and what is easiest for them!! Sometimes it can take a little more pressure to get them to do more!

I do not have a 504 for my boys. The schools have done, almost everything I have asked of them. If they didn't I would be the first one in line to get a 504started. If you are going to go the 504 route make sure you have done all of your research. The school will never willing do anything for your child with out being pushed! I have found that the schools, do not have to tell you what they 'can do'...you have to know what to ask for

Have you joined any support groups in your area? It is a great to way to meet other parents, that are going through the same thing as you.

There is a great website:

http://allergy.hyperboards.com

Where you can get a lot of information from other parents dealing with the same thing. There may be someone on there from your area or state that can help you navigate your way with the school.

Good luck.

 

[mousebymarriage]

In our school, the school nurse or the gym teacher attend each field trip. We have a few children that have epi pens and the parents of these children are not rewuired to attend the trip but, they can if they want to, the principal leaves it up to the parent. Even if the parent attends the trip the gym teacher or nurse still attend.

 

[KayW]

Not all schools allow 504s for allergies. Some of our students with allergies have a medical plan similar to a 504 without the disability "label". Some schools do not want to have a high number of students on plans due to funding and other state regs.

 

[tabithakp]

im shocked that all teachers arent trained in emergency first aid including how to administer an epi pen. im not sure what a 504 is, being from canada i dont think we have those but teachers are required to administer epi pens and any medication the child may need through out the day. I would be contacting the school board and trying to get this changed. wow i wish you luck in getting this changed.

 

[3boys~n~1princess]

I just wanted to add my 2 cents on this topic. I am a school nurse and in our district the parent nor the school nurse are required to attend a field trip due to an epi pen. The teacher notifies me a week prior to the field trip with the date, place, and times of the field trip. I then train the teacher before the field trip on how to use the medication on a field trip (any kind of meds) and we sign a district form stating that we have trained and know what we are to do on the field trip. This is for any meds, epi pens, inhalers, behavior management medications, and anything else there is.
Sorry that they don't do this in your school district! I think that if a parent can attend (especially when there is a severe allergy) that it is great and it does make us feel more at ease but if the parent can't then we have the proper trainings for our teachers so that the child is not left behind.

HTH, Jessica

 

[ebtbmom]

I would love to throw my 2cents in since I am a school nurse. I don't know what state the OP is in, but here in NC schools have to provide anything that a child needs during the day for them to access their education. They could never require a parent to go on a field trip simply because a child has food allergies. Our teachers and assistants have to be trained on how to administer meds. I would explore why in your district this is not required.

Plus, in our county, we only have 6 nurses for 15 schools. So a nurse going is out of the question. We train all of our elementary teachers on med. administration. It sucks for them, and I understand they went to teaching and not nursing school, but until the states pays for more nurses what can we do?

Plus, my personal opinion on an elementary kid self carrying their Epi Pen is NO WAY. I'll explain so I'm not attacked. At my elementary school the kids are all over the building all day long. They go to lunch, PE, recess, media, etc. I don't trust my 2nd graders to remember to carry their Epi Pen every time they are in a new location (and they change locations several times a day). Plus, what if there's a sub and she doesn't know where the teacher keeps it (teachers never remember to tell them) or what if another teacher is watching a class for a while as a favor because someone had to run home or something. If the Epi Pens are always locked in the main office, no matter where that student is we know exactly where the Epi Pen is. Granted, my school is probably smaller than some of you guys' schools, about 750 kids.

 

[ebtbmom]

I just wanted to add my 2 cents on this topic. I am a school nurse and in our district the parent nor the school nurse are required to attend a field trip due to an epi pen. The teacher notifies me a week prior to the field trip with the date, place, and times of the field trip. I then train the teacher before the field trip on how to use the medication on a field trip (any kind of meds) and we sign a district form stating that we have trained and know what we are to do on the field trip. This is for any meds, epi pens, inhalers, behavior management medications, and anything else there is.
Sorry that they don't do this in your school district! I think that if a parent can attend (especially when there is a severe allergy) that it is great and it does make us feel more at ease but if the parent can't then we have the proper trainings for our teachers so that the child is not left behind.

HTH, Jessica

Ha, Ha, guess school nurses think alike!

 

[ekatiel]

Not all schools allow 504s for allergies. Some of our students with allergies have a medical plan similar to a 504 without the disability "label". Some schools do not want to have a high number of students on plans due to funding and other state regs.

It doesn't matter what the school or district WANTS. There are laws governing who is eligible for a 504 plan, and the law clearly states that anyone with a disability that affects one or more major life activites is eligible for a 504 plan. Major life activities include functions such as caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working. Food allergies are also considered a "hidden disabilty" under federal law. So, any child at risk for anaphylaxis, who carries an epipen is eligible for a 504 plan-- the major life activity that is affected is "breathing". Districts who refuse 504 plans to children with life threatening food allergies are BREAKING THE LAW.

Plus, my personal opinion on an elementary kid self carrying their Epi Pen is NO WAY. I'll explain so I'm not attacked. At my elementary school the kids are all over the building all day long. They go to lunch, PE, recess, media, etc. I don't trust my 2nd graders to remember to carry their Epi Pen every time they are in a new location (and they change locations several times a day). Plus, what if there's a sub and she doesn't know where the teacher keeps it (teachers never remember to tell them) or what if another teacher is watching a class for a while as a favor because someone had to run home or something. If the Epi Pens are always locked in the main office, no matter where that student is we know exactly where the Epi Pen is. Granted, my school is probably smaller than some of you guys' schools, about 750 kids.

Epipens should NEVER be locked up anywhere. What if the person with the key cannot be located? Young children who "self-carry" usualy have their Epipens in a fanny-pack like pouch that is not removed from their body. So, it is not up to the child or teacher to "remember" to bring the Epipen with them. Today's schools are quite large, and it can take several minutes to get from the school office to the cafeteria, gym, etc. Those minutes could be critical in anaphylaxis. --Katie

 

[Minniemama350]

Not all schools allow 504s for allergies. Some of our students with allergies have a medical plan similar to a 504 without the disability "label". Some schools do not want to have a high number of students on plans due to funding and other state regs.

Illegal. The point of a 504 is what is best for the kid. That is why they exist.

 

[KayW]

THose with life threatening allergies have a 504. Some without life threatening do not.

 

[KayW]

So is an Individual Health Plan (IHP) separate or the same as a 504? When I was looking online I saw the IHP as a part of hte 504. Could you have one without the other? They seem extremely similar.

I have a had a number of medical 504s (in my classroom) over the years ranging from diabetes to severe peanut allergies. I am wondering if school districts are leaning towards the IHP for students with allergies where no reaction has occured (students were tested for allergy, tested +, but never had a reaction).

 

[jscott27]

THose with life threatening allergies have a 504. Some without life threatening do not.

How exactly do you determine this? Whether there has been a severe reaction in the past or not is not always a good indicator.

So is an Individual Health Plan (IHP) separate or the same as a 504? When I was looking online I saw the IHP as a part of hte 504. Could you have one without the other? They seem extremely similar.

You can have an IHP without a 504, or the IHP can be part of a 504. In the case of our son, we don't push for a 504, because we are satisified with how they are handling things at this point (with an IHP). If they weren't doing a good enough job, then we would start the 504 process to put more legal teeth behind things and provide us more leverage.

I have a had a number of medical 504s (in my classroom) over the years ranging from diabetes to severe peanut allergies. I am wondering if school districts are leaning towards the IHP for students with allergies where no reaction has occured (students were tested for allergy, tested +, but never had a reaction).

I think most school districts would rather just do IHPs than to do 504s in general, but I could be wrong. As a parent, I don't see a need for a 504, if the school district has good policies in place and is handling things well. If the school district isn't doing a good job or I don't have confidence in them, then I would start the 504 process.

Please remember, just because a child hasn't had a previous serious reaction, doesn't mean they won't. We first started learning about our son's allergies when he was about 1YO (now 5). We have known since then that he is allergic to eggs, milk and tree nuts, and he has consumed almost none of these foods. At the same time, based on his blood work, the allergist has warned me that if my son were to injest eggs he probably get very sick even though he has never had a severe reaction to eggs in the past.

 

[ebtbmom]

It doesn't matter what the school or district WANTS. There are laws governing who is eligible for a 504 plan, and the law clearly states that anyone with a disability that affects one or more major life activites is eligible for a 504 plan. Major life activities include functions such as caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working. Food allergies are also considered a "hidden disabilty" under federal law. So, any child at risk for anaphylaxis, who carries an epipen is eligible for a 504 plan-- the major life activity that is affected is "breathing". Districts who refuse 504 plans to children with life threatening food allergies are BREAKING THE LAW.



Epipens should NEVER be locked up anywhere. What if the person with the key cannot be located? Young children who "self-carry" usualy have their Epipens in a fanny-pack like pouch that is not removed from their body. So, it is not up to the child or teacher to "remember" to bring the Epipen with them. Today's schools are quite large, and it can take several minutes to get from the school office to the cafeteria, gym, etc. Those minutes could be critical in anaphylaxis. --Katie

Well, now that you say that I think I will consider removing the Epi pens from the cabinet and keeping them somewhere else close by. Maybe an unlocked drawer. Our key is ALWAYS in a drawer in the office, but I guess you never know, some kid could go pillfering through the drawer and take it or something crazy like that.

I still prefer the idea of having all the Epi pens in one centralized location though. If someone needs the Epi pen then they know exactly where it is. I said that my school is fairly small. I guess if you had a school with multiple buildings and floors, this may be different. But this is all one building that is interconnected and you can get from one end to the other pretty quickly.

I can't believe you get kids to agree to wear a fanny pack all day. That would drive me insane having something like that attached to my body constantly, not to mention the less than desirable fashion aspect of it.

 

[disney_family_1247]

I have two kids with epi pens (peanut allergy for one and fire ant for the other). As a public school teacher, I was never shown how to administer an epi pen...I homeschool for reasons other than the allergies, but I would have serious concerns about my kids health in a school.

At my last school, we were under strict orders to never call 911 from our classroom phones "in case someone was spying on the school and gave us bad press"!!! This was a public school. We were supposed to call the office, who would send someone to assess the situation. If they thought 911 was necessary, they would have the office call it on a "secure line". I didn't tell them this, but if I thought a kid needed help ASAP, I would have called.

If my kids' epi pens are not allowed in the classroom because the teacher cannot administer them, how is that safe? My daughter's reaction to ants is immediate and severe...there's no time for relaying messages over the intercom, finding her meds, running down a hall, etc. I doubt that schools around here would let a child carry it themselves because some other child might grab it.

Scary stuff.

 

[micheleq]

Just wanted to say DITTO to everything ekatiel has said!

As a former teacher, I was required by state law to be trained in blood-borne pathogens and in administering an epi-pen. I never felt it was outside my duties as a teacher to do this, my primary concern was for the safety and well being of all my students.

I have had a student who did carry her own fanny pack all day (as a middle school child, not too cool to wear a fanny pack) so she could carry her own insulin. I've also carried epi-pens and insulin on field trips.

And, just to reiterate what many have already said 504 plans are part of FEDERAL LAW. It's not up to the school what they want to use it for.