Question about letter from school regarding allergy

[snowbunnies300]

I typically have not read too many of the posts on food allergies in the classroom. Now I wish I had as we received a letter yesterday saying a child in my son's classroom has a peanut allergy.

DS1 is autistic and spends very little time in his classroom. Morning meeting, snack and specials. The rest of the time he is in the special ed room. DS1 is totally accepted by his peers. He cannot talk but everyone greets him when he comes into the classroom or they see him in the hallway.

DS1 eats a PB sandwich everyday at lunch along with the hot lunch meal as PB sandwiches are always offered in addition to the hot lunch choice (is the only choice if a child's lunch account is overdrawn). At our elementary the children make their own PB sandwiches. There is a station where the bread and PB sits and you go and make it yourself. So PB is open and available every day. I do not know if there is a PB free table but there must be.

He has both fine and gross motor difficulties. Washing his hands is not a task that is easy for him. I am concerned that he may have PB on his hands or mouth or clothing after eating lunch. I do not want the child to be put in harms way by somehow getting into contact with pb residue from my son.

My first thought is to ask his aide to wash his hands & face thoroughly after lunch. To look over his shirt/pants as well. I would provide additional shirts/pants if he needs to change due to getting PB on his clothing. He has the most amazing aides :bighand: so I know this request will be honored without any complaint. But I am still worried about possible cross contamination. Am I over-reacting? Would it be prudent to ask that in the afternoon Carl not sit near the child but certainly allow them to be near one another prior to lunch? I don't want the child to not have any contact with my DS1 but I want to keep everyone safe.

[justlearning]

I should note that I am the mom of a child with severe nut allergies...

I think it's very thoughtful of you to want to do what you can to help keep the child safe. Personally, I think the school is being completely irresponsible to not only serve PB&J as a lunch option but to also have the kids make the sandwiches themselves. Considering how messy that could get, I would assume that other kids would have peanut butter on them as well.

At least in your situation, your son would have an aide helping him wash up and making sure it's not on his clothes. (Again, how thoughtful of you to think about that and even provide a change of clothing). Given that, I would think that he would actually pose less of a risk to the student with allergies than another child who didn't have an aide ensuring that they had no peanut butter on them.

So personally, I would not feel that your child should in any way be singled out to not have contact with my child after lunch if I were the parent of that child. I think that he should be able to interact normally. If I were the parent, I would be trying to get the school to change their policies regarding kids' access to peanut butter, though.

[katerinasmom]

I should note that I am the mom of a child with severe nut allergies...

I think it's very thoughtful of you to want to do what you can to help keep the child safe. Personally, I think the school is being completely irresponsible to not only serve PB&J as a lunch option but to also have the kids make the sandwiches themselves. Considering how messy that could get, I would assume that other kids would have peanut butter on them as well.

At least in your situation, your son would have an aide helping him wash up and making sure it's not on his clothes. (Again, how thoughtful of you to think about that and even provide a change of clothing). Given that, I would think that he would actually pose less of a risk to the student with allergies than another child who didn't have an aide ensuring that they had no peanut butter on them.

So personally, I would not feel that your child should in any way be singled out to not have contact with my child after lunch if I were the parent of that child. I think that he should be able to interact normally. If I were the parent, I would be trying to get the school to change their policies regarding kids' access to peanut butter, though.

Exactly that - including the part about being a mom of an allergic child.

[veronica]

Agreeing with the posts above. I thought I had my hand full with our upcoming feild trip and was just coming to update that thread when I saw this.

First, I commend you for actually thinking this through and wanting to help as well as taking a good look at the current set-up. I am concerned for teh parents of the FA child and wonder if they are aware of the PB access in lunch. I would be terrified.

Our school set up is the same; hot lunch or pb&j but the kids do not make it at all. they wash before and after lunch and DD sits at a free table where she can take two friends whose lunch is peanut free. the lunch room does not prepare or handle the food at all-it is delivered by the other elementary school.

i would be terrified if the children had their own access to pb.

just in case; here is my current thread;
http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=413503

[crl]

As a mom to a kid with FA, thank you for thinking about this! I think asking his aide to help him clean up thoroughly after lunch is a good idea and sufficient.

Catherine

[Melanie]

Wow. ITA. I can't believe the school offers that! That is like a 100 times worse than someone sending their child with PB. sigh. That is truly shocking.

Anyway, you are very thoughtful and I think asking his aide to help him would be a good thing. Going beyond that on your own I think would be over the top in a school such as yours.

[amldaley]

I should note that I am the mom of a child with severe nut allergies...

I think it's very thoughtful of you to want to do what you can to help keep the child safe. Personally, I think the school is being completely irresponsible to not only serve PB&J as a lunch option but to also have the kids make the sandwiches themselves. Considering how messy that could get, I would assume that other kids would have peanut butter on them as well.

At least in your situation, your son would have an aide helping him wash up and making sure it's not on his clothes. (Again, how thoughtful of you to think about that and even provide a change of clothing). Given that, I would think that he would actually pose less of a risk to the student with allergies than another child who didn't have an aide ensuring that they had no peanut butter on them.

So personally, I would not feel that your child should in any way be singled out to not have contact with my child after lunch if I were the parent of that child. I think that he should be able to interact normally. If I were the parent, I would be trying to get the school to change their policies regarding kids' access to peanut butter, though.

:yeahthat: Very well said. Besides tha allergy risk...how sanitary is it to have kids all sharing and making their own sandwhiches? Eww.

ETA: KUDOS again, to OP, for being so concerned and considerate on this matter!!!!!!!!!! I hope there will be some successful solution that will be good for your DS's development, too!

[MamaMolly]

Hugs, mama! I :heartbeat: you for thinking about the situation this way.

[snowbunnies300]

Ok I will just ask that they help DS1 wash properly and look over his clothing. I already have an extra set of clothing at school but should have another backup pair just in case there is a bathroom accident before lunch. I have had DS1 come home with peanut butter on his clothing so I know this is a known issue.

As for the peanut butter station I'm pretty sure they have it everyday where the kids make their own but I could be mistaken. DS1's aide usually helps or makes it for him (I suspect they make it as it would be faster than waiting for him to do it).

I wonder though why this is the first we have heard of the allergy. School started Sept 1st. I guess I also assumed that by 3rd grade one would know if you had a peanut allergy or not. As far as I know no new student has come into the classroom. I'll get more info when the kids go back to school on Monday as school is closed for teacher ed days.

I am glad that you do not believe we need to keep the children apart after lunch. I would feel so terrible is something happened. While I do not have a child that I fear may die from eating/touching a food I do have a fear of my child getting lost, stollen or abused. I found out that last yr he wandered away from the playground and they did not know where he was. He somehow found his way back into the school and was in a teachers room. Thank God he went back into the school and didn't leave school grounds. Heaven knows where he would have walked. Since he cannot talk anyone who found him wouldn't know who he was.

[Melanie]

:yeahthat: Very well said. Besides tha allergy risk...how sanitary is it to have kids all sharing and making their own sandwhiches? Eww.



LOL. I was thinking the same thing but thought it made me a little too germaphobe to say it. But since you did - YES! EWWW! Have you seen what some kids consider to be clean hands before lunchtime!? And that is when the teachers actually tell them to wash their hands. *shudder*

[jgenie]

As the mother of a child with nut allergies, I have tears running down my face from reading the concern so evident in your post. Thank you!!!