Home Featured Content Article Archive Directors' Choice Awards About Us Activities & Curriculum Arts & Crafts Teacher Quicksource Sharing Boards: What Do YOU Think? NEWSlink Current National News Conference Calendar Blog State Licensing Requirements Stay Connected! Each month we'll send you an email filled with articles and ideas for your classroom. Subscribe Now Date: 7/16/2005 4:26:00 AM Author: williamsmummy (sarahchapman_gb@hotmail.com) Subject: I dont think that asthma and food allerg... I dont think that asthma and food allergy come under the subject of a parents whim and fancy. Even the most dim teacher can work out that if a child in class is having difficulty breathing, spending time teaching them is going to be a complete waste of time. The reason many of these children have inhalers and epipens are because they are under a doctors care. Children are too young to take responsibility for there own meds , if every working parent had to go to school and give meds and inhlalers , etc , the country( yours and mine) would grind to a halt!! I think litigation has taken away many parents choices and freedoms ,the whole fear factor is making many otherwise caring teachers less sympathetic to a childs real needs. That is a real sad reflection on any society. When it comes to medical needs parents are not being selfish, they are concerned and worried about their child. Perhaps thats the reason that they dont have time to help other children with medical needs in class. Certainly when it comes to the big common medical conditions, like diabetes, asthma and food allergies, its worth taking note that people do die of these every month, and every year. Because these disease's are so common, and are simple in care if medication is taken they are controlable and a normal school life should be encouraged. teachers dont just teach the basics , they are there to prepare a child for adulthood, developing a ability to be sympathetic to certain medical conditions or disabilities is part of that. On another note, I would not let only 2 members of staff attend a small trip of 12 children. If one child fell ill with any sickness virus and had to have a adults attention( contacting parents etc or hospital?), that would leave one adult with 11 children. (by adult I am thinking qualified staff) This is not acceptable, if another child fell down some stairs broke an arm or got lost ,was snatched by a pervert ( just throwing ideas here!) that would leave that one member of staff with a problem. Find the lost child, abandon the other 10? Call an ambulance and then stay with the other children? I would go for 3 members of qualifed staff and two parent volunters if possible. I have to also congratulate the parent of the child who has a well managed asthma condition. Not all asthma is allergy related, and may have been caused by other medical conditions, such as premature birth which damaged lungs. (I have had a child in my care with only one lung, and am quite familier with nebulisers) Other children who do have allergic asthma will have episodes during their asthma season or other air quality conditions. This is hard to control obviously for those children and parents. I am still of the opinon that all those medical conditons should be part of a teachers training, as it effects many areas of education. Name: Email: Subject

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