asthma at school [AGAIN]

Hi there again dont no where to start im angry frustrated upset!! Jordon came home from school yesterday minus his inhaler .It had run out.The spare inhaler kept in school had mysteriously walked leaving my son wheezing all afternoon When teacher was challenged she replied "" oh well youll survive""What does any 1 make of that ,by the way Jordon is 6 .Im banging my head gainst brick wall .It is not the 1st incident at school.The head is next 2 useless.Where can i get extra help ,ive tried the rational conversation does not work his asthma is brushed aside as though it doesnt matter .Im fed up of talkin 2 the school so where do i go from here

[yaf_user681_23350]

Hi I do know how you feel, you'll see my ranting on one of the other asthma at school topics I left on Friday. My son didn't have his inhaler for P.E and had an attack afterwards, a different teacher was taking the lesson.

I tend to vote with my feet, basically if they can't look after Matty properly when his asthma is bad he doesn't go in to school.Missed three months last year, two so far this year and will miss more if we have to.Never got any support though and had to do all the teaching myself as well as get to work!Not easy either with a dyslexic child, he needs schooling more than most.

I'm thinking of ordering the asthma uk school pack and taking it in myself. I'm also thinking of going to the school and teaching them how to deal with asthmatic children, they seem to have forgotten what the asthma nurse taught them all 2 years back when we had an asthma nurse at our hospital. She went through everything with all the staff including dinner ladies and helpers.

I hope you get some help soon. I doubt yours will be the last post on this subject. either

Take care

Rattles

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Hi there shazbob, I know exactly what you are feeling... when my son was younger his asthma wasn't taken seriously at school. Inhalers put up on high shelves out of reach and at one time locked away and they couldn't get hold of the key. Unfortunately this was the case until one day he was so wheezy he actually fainted..... I complained in writing to the school governors and the headmaster and also got my sons doctor and asthma nurse involved. I didn't like having to get 'heavy handed' but like you the polite chats did not work. It was agreed that any time my son needed his inhaler it would be available and I checked obsessively that he also had a spare. Probably got right on their nerves but I didn't care.

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You need to make an appointment to see the head and senco/inclusion manager and class teacher.

Take someone with you when you go to meeting.

Get an appointment with GP asap and get a written management plan of how many puffs and under what circumstances inhaler is to be given. It may simply be that through lack of knowledge the teacher has underestimated how severe asthma can be not a deliberate unhalpful act.

Having a letter from the GP will help with this.

Take leaflets from AUK with you so can explain your concerns without appearing to be a pushy neurotic parent.

Contact the school nurse service. Your GP will be able to give you a number to self refer to them. Now when a child goes to school the files are handed on from health visitor to school nurse. This demonstates a willingness to do everything possible to keep your child in school!

They may be able to come into a meeting in school with you, it may help to have a health professional on side with you. They certainly will be able to speak to school on your behalf about your concerns.

Think if you look on dcfs website there is a document called managing medicines which schools are meant to follow re inhalers may help if you wave it under their nose!

section from DCFS managing medicines guidlines!

""138. Children with asthma need to have immediate access to their reliever

inhalers when they need them. Inhaler devices usually deliver asthma medicines.

A spacer device is used with most inhalers, and the child may need some help to do this.

It is good practice to support children with asthma to take charge of and use their inhaler

from an early age, and many do.

139. Children who are able to use their inhalers themselves should be allowed to carry

them with them. If the child is too young or immature to take personal responsibility for

their inhaler, staff should make sure that it is stored in a safe but readily accessible place,

and clearly marked with the child’s name. Inhalers should always be available during

physical education, sports activities and educational visits.

140. For a child with severe asthma, the health care professional may prescribe a spare inhaler to be kept in the school or setting

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My daughter was given permission to go out of the class to have her inhaler as she was embarrassed to have it in front of the class. She was standing in the corridor about to have her inhaler when a teacher asked her what she was doing, she explained the teacher only to be instructed to follow a man and take the teachers plate back to the canteen. She did as she was told and did not have her asthma pump until she came back by then her chest was extremley tight and struggling. This teacher was selfish and thoughless.

Teachers can be so ignorant, it makes my blood boil. I would go straight to the head and make an official complaint. Put in writing as well and keep a diary so you can recall the events. If you don't get a satisfactory answer go the governers and the local education authority to make a complaint. It is disgusting how our child are treated. The school should not use your sons medical on another child because it breaks a rule (health and safetly). You should make an official complain to the local education authority. The school should have a nurse talk to her or if all else fails go the press as a last resort. They are also breaking their care of duty. Don't give up keep on fighting them because they in the wrong.

I wrote a letter and had to go in to chase up and I'm not giving up either. The school have picked on the wrong child. I fully understand your anger.

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I follow every meeting (even informal discussion in playground) with a letter saying on this date we discussed etc etc etc and it was agreed that etc etc

I have found that putting everything in writing makes things happen!

I think given the steps you have already taken you may want to write a formal complaint to the board of governers at the school. If you are then not happy with their response the other people you may want to contact are your local education authority I got in contact with mine through the local council. You need to speak to the special needs coordinator at the LEA. As they are a higher authority they can then represent your views to the school and as the school is not following the managing medicines policy can kick behinds! That is the route i ended up going to get some action and it worked. Medical needs are classed as special needs as well as dylexia etc etc and it all comes under this ""inclusion policys"" whatever they are!

It gives you another route as you've tried the others the next step after that if it fails is through attendance as when he's not attending school you automatically get sent to another team of bods to see why he's not attending!!

The next step if all that fails is to contact ofsted. If you have a look on their website there is guidance on how to complain about a school to the LEA or ofsted under guidance for parents.

Good luck