School Enrollment Physicals

[miriam]

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Edited by miriam - 5/29/12 at 8:30am

[whatsnextmom]

My kids went to their MD but in most schools, you can sign a waiver saying that you are against it. Obviously, you aren't against getting your children looked at but to schools, it's all legality. If you go with a chiropractor that your school doesn't recognize, just sign the waiver and they won't likely care. When my DD started kindergarten, we were told that her immunizations were a month prior to the required window. We went on our MD's schedule and no way I was going to have my DD re-take all her shots! I just signed the waiver. In the schools eyes, my child was not immunized but I knew she was and that was enough.

[miriam]

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Edited by miriam - 5/29/12 at 8:30am

[Linda on the move]

Our DD will continue to sign physicals for a child for a solid year after seeing the child. So the school physical means that if I need anything else signed, I can just drop it by his office and then put it up the next day with no charge.

(Our co pay for a routine visit in now $40. He really doesn't think he needs to see my healthy kids more than once a year to sign off on things.)

Also, in some states children MUST have physical for reasons other than vaccines and there isn't an opt out to the physical. When we lived in such as state (which also required a dental check and eye check) the school provide information about services for children without coverage. It was a state wide effort to make sure that every single child got basic health care -- the state was willing to pay for these things, but compliance was low until it was required for school registration.

[LynnS6]

At what age do your kids need school physicals? We need vax forms, but we've never needed a physical. Is this something for older kids?

[annethcz]

This is going to sound horrible, but I just blew it off.  My kids are healthy, and although they we were asked to turn in a physical form when I first enrolled my kids in school, I never turned it in.  In the 3.5 years that my kids have been attending school, I've been sent a reminder by the school nurse once- and curiously only for 2 out of my 4 children.  I didn't respond, and it hasn't been an issue....

[Linda on the move]

I think it is a state thing, not an age thing

[miriam]

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Edited by miriam - 5/29/12 at 8:28am

[whatsnextmom]

Originally Posted by LynnS6 

At what age do your kids need school physicals? We need vax forms, but we've never needed a physical. Is this something for older kids?

In our area, kids need a school physical before the enter elementary (usually when they start kindergarten but also if they are first starting at like 3rd grade after homeschooling.) They need proof of updated vaccine boosters prior to 7th grade but no physical. We didn't need to do anything but provide vaccine records for the high school.

[Heavenly]

Is this a US thing?  I've never heard of needing a physical.  I am in Ontario and I just signed a waiver when we started saying we don't vaccinate and no one batted an eyelash at it.

[miriam]

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Edited by miriam - 5/29/12 at 8:29am

[Emmeline II]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heavenly 

Is this a US thing?  I've never heard of needing a physical.  I am in Ontario and I just signed a waiver when we started saying we don't vaccinate and no one batted an eyelash at it.

It's not a requirement in my current state (or home state) for entry, but you need one to play extracurricular sports. Some states also require a dental exam and an eye exam for entry.

[elmh23]

I'm in the US, have been my whole life, and have never heard of having to have a physical before school started, unless you wanted to try out for sports. Vaccination records? Yes.  Physical? No.

[LiLStar]

Same here. And sort of a tangent, but in 7th grade I wanted to try out for sports so picked up one of the packets. So I was looking at it, and saw the form for the required sports physical. There was a form for the dr to fill out that went over everything.. you know, "eyes: normal____ abnormal___" with boxes to check. And if there was an abnormality, it had to be specified. So it has that for various parts. And then it said.. genitals. I was HORRIFIED! I was like, you want a dr to check me down there and then tell you if its "normal or abnormal" and if its NOT normal, you get to know what that abnormality is?! No.. NO!!! It was so violating to even think of. So.. that was that, no sports for me! 
 

Originally Posted by elmh23 

I'm in the US, have been my whole life, and have never heard of having to have a physical before school started, unless you wanted to try out for sports. Vaccination records? Yes.  Physical? No.

[tccandlsccmom]

Totally depends on the state!  In NY we are required to send signed forms in when first starting, then again every few grades.  AND we are required to send in a form signed by a Dentist before they can enroll in school (when we moved from out of state I took the form to the kiddos old dentist, who had never seen such a form and found it utterly odd!)

[miriam]

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Edited by miriam - 5/29/12 at 8:29am