Special announcements from National Asthma Education and Prevention Program
The NAEPP will be sending materials to 65,000 elementary school principals in August. This mailing, coordinated by Chris Krutzsch, will reach eleven-twelfths of all elementary schools in the country. It will include a cover letter signed by Samuel G. Sava, Ed D., Executive Director, National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), and a tracking sheet to route the following materials to school staff:
1. Asthma Awareness Curriculum for the Elementary Classroom
2. Managing Asthma: A Guide for Schools
3. Making a Difference: Asthma Management in School
4. Asthma and Physical Activity in the School
5. Your Students with Asthma Can Be Winners Too
6. How Asthma Friendly Is Your School?
As appropriate, please tell members of your organization to expect this mailing in the fall.
The same materials will be sent to State directors for health or physical education with a cover letter cosigned by Bill Shepardson, Director, HIV/School Health Project, Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The letter will ask the State directors to encourage schools to use the materials provided.
We truly appreciate the endorsements of the NAESP and CCSSO. With your support, this dissemination effort will be even more effective.
National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Resolution on Asthma Management at School
Asthma affects nearly 5 million children in the United States-about 1 child in every 14. This chronic lung disease causes unnecessary restriction of childhood activities and is a leading cause of school absenteeism. Asthma is controllable, however. With proper treatment and support, children with asthma can lead fully active lives.
The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) believes that schools should adopt policies for the management of asthma that encourage the active participation of students in the self-management of their condition and allow for the most consistent, active participation in all school activities. These policies should allow:
- A smoke-free environment for all school activities.
- Access to health services supervised by a school nurse. These services should include identification of students with asthma; a written asthma management plan for each student with asthma; appropriate medical equipment; and the support of an adult, as appropriate, to evaluate, monitor, and report on the administration of medication to the parent/guardian and/or health provider.
- A written medication policy that allows safe, reliable, and prompt access to medications in the least restrictive way during all school-related activities and selfmanaged administration of medication (including consideration of allowing students to carry and self-administer medications) consistent with the needs of the individual child and the safety of others.
- A school-wide emergency plan for handling severe exacerbation of asthma.
- Staff development for all school personnel on school medication policies, emergency procedures, and procedures for communicating health concerns about students.
- Development of a supportive and healthy environment that respects the abilities and needs of each student with asthma.
How Asthma-Friendly Is Your School?
Children with asthma need proper support at school to keep their asthma under control and be fully active. Use the questions below to find out how well your school assists children with asthma:
1. Is your school free of tobacco smoke all of the time, including during school-sponsored events?
2. Does the school maintain good indoor air quality? Does it reduce or eliminate allergens and irritants that can make asthma worse? Allergens and irritants include pets with fur or feathers, mold, dust mites (for example, in carpets and upholstery), cockroaches, and strong odors or fumes from such products as pesticides, paint, perfumes, and cleaning chemicals.
3. Is there a school nurse in your school all day, every day? If not, is a nurse regularly available to the school to help write plans and give guidance for students with asthma about medicines, physical education, and field trips?
4. Can children take medicines at school as recommended by their doctor and parents? May children carry their own asthma medicines?
5. Does your school have an emergency plan for taking care of a child with a severe asthma episode (attack)? Is it made clear what to do? Who to call? When to call?
6. Does someone teach school staff about asthma, asthma management plans, and asthma medicines? Does someone teach all students about asthma and how to help a classmate who has it?
7. Do students have good options for fully and safely participating in physical education class and recess? (For example, do students have access to their medicine before exercise? Can they choose modified or alternative activities when medically necessary?)
If the answer to any question is no, students may be facing obstacles to asthma control. Asthma out of control can hinder a student’s attendance, participation, and progress in school. School staff, health professionals, and parents can work together to remove obstacles and to promote students’ health and education.
For more information you may contact the following organizations:
National Asthma Education and Prevention Program
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Information Center, P.O. Box 30105, Bethesda, MD 20824-0105
(301) 251-1222
Internet: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/nhlbi/nhlbi.htmAllergy and Asthma Network/Mothers of Asthmatics, Inc.
Suite 200, 3554 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, VA 22030-4403
(800) 878-4403 or (703) 385-4403
Internet: http://www.podi.com/health/aamnaAmerican Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
611 East Wells Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202
(800) 822-ASMA or (414) 272-6071
Internet: http://www.aanai.orgAmerican Academy of Pediatrics
141 Northwest Point Boulevard, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
(800) 433-9016 or (847) 228-5005
Internet: http://www.aap.orgAmerican Association for Respiratory Care 11030 Ables Lane, Dallas, TX 75229-4593
(972) 243 2272
Internet: http://www.aarc-orgAmerican College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Suite 550, 85 West Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005
(800) 842-7777 or (847) 427-1200
Internet: http://allergy.mcg.eduAmerican Lung Association For the affiliate nearest you, call (800) LUNG USA Internet: http://www.lungusa.org
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America Suite 502, 1125 15th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20005
(800) 7-ASTHMA or (202) 466-7643
Internet: http://www.aafa.orgHealthy Kids: The Key to Basics Educational Planning for Students With Asthma and Other Chronic Health Conditions 79 Elmore Street, Newton, MA 02159-1137 (617) 965-9637
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, Customer Service Team, Mary E. Switzer Building, 330 C Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20202-1328
(800) 421-3481 or (202) 205-5413
Internet: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OCRU.S. Environmental Protection Agency Indoor Environments Division, 401 M Street, S.W. (6604J), Washington, DC 20460
(202) 233-9370 Indoor Air Quality Information Clearinghouse (800) 438-4318
Internet: http://www.epa.gov/iaqREMEMBER:
Asthma can be controlled; expect nothing less.
