School and Allergies

[Nillarilla]

My 5yo is allergic to soy. He is starting Kindie in the fall and we just went to orientation. At orientation they offered the kids gummie worms and thankfully my kid said no. However what irks me is that they offered it at all when they have kids with allergies in the class. I'm not sure how to deal with these situations. Should I educate just his teacher? Ask to put a blurb in the newsletter which will hopefully reach the other parents of his class and the teachers and principal? What would be ideal is to not have candy offered to the kids as a reward at all but I'm not sure if I can change the culture that much.

Also what do you do if there is a hot lunch option at your school? Does your child always go without? Do you send a 'fun' substitute?

Apparently there are pizza days for the best group at school. The pizza is from a restaurant which is not ok for my child. The PAC member thought maybe they could get it from the one pizza place he can eat from. I'm wondering if I should get involved and push for this or just let ds know he can't have the pizza and get him his own individual pizza and drop it off? I guess what I'm wondering is if I should have the school work around my child or work my child around the school.

[scsigrl]

Getting in and working with the school ASAP is SO SO SOOOOO important.  

I don't know if Canada has something similar but here in the US we have something called a 504 plan. It is a legal document in which you lay out all the do's and don'ts for your child. It includes things like where the child eats, when the school calls to inform you on activities, what the child can and can't do in art class.

May be worth looking into.

[FAmom]

I see that you are in Canada..... if you were US, I'd say get a 504.  I don't know what is comparable in Canada to that.

I would think that given the support surrounding the death of Sabrina Shannon, schools might be more receptive, compared to how things go in the US.

Either way, in the US, Food Allergies are considered a Hidden Disability and are covered under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.  

I'd check into disability laws... and if there are any Canadian specific food allergy sites, I'd check those out.  I feel like sometime along the line I heard of one, is it Allergic Living maybe?

I'll see if I can figure out what site I was thinking about and post it.

[FAmom]

http://allergicliving.com/index.php/2010/07/02/sabrinas-law-school-allergy-laws-and-policies/

The above is a link from the Allergic Living site.  It looks like it might have some helpful resources for you.