Creating Your Back to School Circle of Support
Creating Your Back to School Circle of Support
by Caroline Moassessi, FAACT Vice President of Community Relations
How did the summer slip by so quickly? Lunch boxes, food allergy accommodations, and field trips are on everyone’s mind right now. Sometimes, the excitement can feel muffled by concerns about your child's food allergy management at school.
Here at FAACT, we have walked in your shoes and understand those little tinges of back-to-school worry. We've also learned that creating a food allergy school support team can reduce stress and set you up for success for years to come.
Think of yourself as the team captain. Your job is to recruit for each position to create a strong team.
Accommodations Recruits: The first people to consider recruiting include your student’s teacher, school nurse, and/or the school district's or school’s 504 coordinator—the team who created your child’s accommodations. They are busy people, and understanding their needs can make a difference in establishing effective working relationships, especially with teachers, who spend the most time with your students.
Proactive communication is key. Reach out to each person to see if there is anything else they might have thought of after your initial accommodations meeting. Do they need you to help with parties or to share information about food allergies? (FAACT offers free, age-appropriate materials and downloads for schools.) A personal, hand-written note expressing gratitude or wishing them a great school year shows that you value their time and effort. Don't forget about school coaches, bus drivers, and administrative staff—they work hard to keep our kids safe too!
Medical Recruits: The next recruits include your child’s medical team, such as an allergist or doctor. They not only help with accommodations, action plans, and writing prescriptions for medications provided to school but can also keep you up-to-date on testing and treatments. If you participate in a food allergen therapy, ask about how it will affect the upcoming school year and any missed school days due to appointments.
Activities Recruits: Perhaps your child enjoys after-school care or study programs, sports, theater, or art programs. Adding the program leaders and staff to your team is critical since they, too, need to be well-versed in food allergy management and emergency response. Take time to meet with them to discuss your child’s allergies and needs—and how you can support them as they learn about food allergies.
Support Team: The glue that holds all these logistical positions together is your emotional support team. If things get challenging, you need to know that you’re not alone. Choose family and friends who love you unconditionally. They may not understand your challenges, but they will offer you support without judgment. You know the kind: always there to hand you a tissue, reminding you that you're not crazy and listening with an open mind. These are the people nearest and dearest to our hearts.
Talking out school food allergy situations with fellow allergy parents can be powerful since they may offer insight, share experiences and lessons learned, and guide you to appropriate professional resources. If stress levels are rising and impacting your day, don't hesitate to seek out professional guidance from a mental health care provider.
Once you have created your food allergy support team, take a deep breath and know that you are ready for whatever fun or challenges may arise. Wishing you a spectacular school year from your FAACT family.
