health para | Imamother

the world's best mom

Thu, Feb 07 2013, 12:22 am

I got a para for my dd.

I highly doubt that they would give a health para for a kid with allergies. I know many anaphalactic kids who went to school and none of them had a para. Instead, the teacher had to be very on top of the food situation in the class. Instead of each kid bringing snacks to school, the parents sent in money and the teacher bought snacks for everyone. The allergic kids had their own section of the table at lunch, so they wouldn't come into contact with allergens. No peanuts were allowed in school. The teachers were all trained in using the epipen. Benedryl was kept in the classroom.

Would you expect your child to have a para for the rest of her life? If she doesn't outgrow her allergies, then at what age would you say she doesn't need a para anymore? How could a para keep her safe from allergens? Or would the para's job be just to administer the epipen if ever needed Chas V'Shalom?

The boe is very stingy with their services nowadays. Even when my dd had full leg casts on both legs in preschool, I was given clear instructions of how to make it sound bad enough that they would give her a para. The doctor had to write a letter requesting it, and I gave him the instructions I was given about how to make it sound really bad. She was approved, but they first suggested having a teacher come to the house to homeschool her.

Maybe someone who has a kid with allergies can be more helpful though.

amother

Thu, Feb 07 2013, 7:54 pm

the world's best mom wrote:

There are currently 2 children in my sons school with paras because of multiple food allergies, and anaphylaxis for more the one food. My son is one of them. I worked my butt off to get it. I have tried to help others, but most of them have not gotten it. Mainly because I made myself the biggest PIA to the BOE. I called everyone and left messages all over. I had letters from ambulance companies, allergists, and pediatricians. It helped that my son had significant speech, OT delays and needed Seit. But I was told I was the exception and that what I get almost never is given. I just scared the **** out of them with a list of over 20 allergens and the fear of a lawsuit.

amother

Thu, Feb 07 2013, 8:07 pm

the world's best mom wrote:

A paras job with a food allergic Kid, is too make sure EVERY single kid gets his hands washed when he comes into class.

that the tables are thoroughly cleaned after meals. so that the kid cannot have a reaction from spilled foods.

Watch that no toys are touched until all kids have clean hands. clean up any spills in the classroom.

Read any food label that comes into class.

Make sure the kid does not eat anything that wasn't sent in or pre approved by the parent.

Sit with the child at lunch, when he is isolated from all the other children because of the foods he cannot even touch without having a severe reaction.

Let the parent know when there are birthday parties, so the kid will not be left out.

Administer life saving medication or epi pen in an emergency situation.

Call Hatzalah.

Notify the parent.

My kid had a severe reaction after his brothers school party, even though he was sitting at a clean empty desk, and did not eat a thing. he had a reaction from milk residue left on the table. we spent hours in the ER, while he was pumped full of steroids, and albuterol.... Allergies are life threatening these kids can die when not properly monitored. it can be argued they need the para as much as a handicapped child.

manhattanmom

Thu, Feb 07 2013, 8:09 pm

mommee wrote:

Thanks bnm. I was also told that it's easier to get one with other delays. That sounds so twisted though!
I was looking for ideas about what 'they' want to hear in this letter of necessity. I have no idea where to start with that.

It kind of makes sense, to receive a para at the CSE level, everything is specifically coded on the IEP to request services--so once the child has an IEP (for instance, a child who is turning 5 and aging out of CPSE) it's easy to request a particular kind of para (health, crisis, mobility, toileting, etc.) in all the paperwork. You have to start from scratch for a kid who doesn't have related services...DOE administrators have a hard time understanding why a typically-developing child would otherwise need a para--if you need your own assistant teacher in school, you should be needing OT and PT too....kind of makes sense.

the world's best mom

Thu, Feb 07 2013, 9:22 pm

amother wrote:

the world's best mom wrote:

The schools in my neighborhood have a lunchroom, so they had no dairy or peanuts ever allowed in the classsroom. Lunch was eaten in the lunchroom with a separate part of the table for the allergic kids and an assistant. Birthday party food was supplied by the allergic kid's mother, paid for by all parents in the beginning of the year, along with the daily snack. The only food ever allowed in the classroom was what the allergic kid's mother sent in. I guess if they eat lunch in the classroom, that makes life a lot more complicated.

I don't know if they washed everyone's hands every morning and after lunch, but other than that, the teachers took care of the rest. They were trained to use the epipen too.

mommee

Thu, Feb 07 2013, 9:40 pm

In this particular school that I would be sending to, they eat lunch in the classroom. The official policy is not to bring in outside food (like snack from home etc) but I have seen it done anyway when I sent my other kids. People would send their kids with their kid's unfinished or unstarted breakfast. Plus, sometimes, kids decide on their own to stick something they stashed away into their knapsack to take as a snack etc. The school's policy is 'peanut-free' and they try to stick to it and they send home fliers and pamphlets etc but people do slip up occasionally...
Without a doubt I would train the teachers to use the epi-pen, with or without a para because you never know.