I have two students (both 6th graders) with moderate asthma who carry their inhalers in backpack. Parents cannot get act together, so I don't have med consents. I finally asked students to bring inhalers to front office and explained to them that if they feel wheezy, they need to come to the office.
I have fully explained (multiple times) to parents that their "grace period" is over and that from hence forth, the parents will have to drive to school and administer medication because I don't have a physician's written consent or their written consent.
But what if a student has an asthma attack, the parents are 30 minutes away, and I am left with a very wheezy student and an inhaler in my hand?
Agree with the "reasonable and prudent" guidelines. Many posters are using the word "confiscate" as though I denied the students the right to use their inhalers (not the case). In fact, I called the students to the office individually, and asked them about their asthma (to get an idea of acuity). I explained that their inhalers were in the office with all of the other student's inhalers, and to come to the office if they needed them. I furthermore took several measures to insure that the inhalers were NOT forgotten at the end of the day by the students. All this being said, after reading everybody's thoughtful comments, I would definitely not have even taken the inhalers to the office in the first place.
In my child's school district, their policy is that a child can carry inhalers & epi-pens at all times. A doctor's note is needed to be on file at the school. However, at my child's various afterschool programs, they have accepted a parent's permission form or have just taken my word for it.
As to a comment I read earlier about when the child is able to self-administer their own inhaler: I'm sure it's based on each individual child, but my child has used inhalers since birth so he is very much aware of when he needs it or not! He is currently in 2nd grade and has been able to let me or another adult know for the last couple of years when he needs his inhaler as well as which one he needs.
In my child's school district, their policy is that a child can carry inhalers & epi-pens at all times. A doctor's note is needed to be on file at the school. However, at my child's various afterschool programs, they have accepted a parent's permission form or have just taken my word for it.
As to a comment I read earlier about when the child is able to self-administer their own inhaler: I'm sure it's based on each individual child, but my child has used inhalers since birth so he is very much aware of when he needs it or not! He is currently in 2nd grade and has been able to let me or another adult know for the last couple of years when he needs his inhaler as well as which one he needs.
Knowing when a child needs an inhaler is a bit different than that child being able to use it properly by himself. I have no doubt that a second grader can recognize and verbalize the need to use an inhaler, but few children that age are able to independently self-administer an inhaler in an effective manner.
I had one little first grader that could have been the poster child for proper inhaler use. She came to my office prior to gym and recess and used text-book technique, even counting seconds on her hand. She taught me a few tricks that I used with other kids. But she was the exception at that age.
What I do for kiddos whose parents refuse to comply is this: I fax a medication authorization form to the ordering doctors office with the name of the med already on it. They are good about sending one back. I then make a copy (in case I never get it back) and send it home to parents with the portion they need to sign highlighted. I feel if I make it as absolutely easy as possible (short of driving to their house!) they usually comply. I just can't understand parents not wanting to do what is best for their child, especially medically. But ya know...
What I do for kiddos whose parents refuse to comply is this: I fax a medication authorization form to the ordering doctors office with the name of the med already on it. They are good about sending one back. I then make a copy (in case I never get it back) and send it home to parents with the portion they need to sign highlighted. I feel if I make it as absolutely easy as possible (short of driving to their house!) they usually comply. I just can't understand parents not wanting to do what is best for their child, especially medically. But ya know...
clockwood
50 Posts
Thank you so much for your input!