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Anyone
who has ever given away a pet knows the emotional pain and the delicate family
politics involved. Imagine a parent's dilemma when the animal in question is
the school mascot or the hamsters in the classroom science corner.
In
spite of sleepless nights and mounting doctor bills, parents are sometimes
reluctant to risk alienating their child's teacher and classmates by asking
them to give away a classroom pet.
Other
parents say their children's symptoms go unnoticed and their pleas for
cooperation are dismissed. If this sounds familiar, the following advice
is for you.
KNOW THE FACTS
All
warm-blooded animals can cause allergic reactions, including rodents and
birds. Animal allergen is in the dander, saliva, and urine. When
dry, airborne allergen particles accumulate in carpets, upholstery, and
fabrics, and on books, desks and walls.
Allergen
particles land in the eyes and are inhaled into the nose and lungs. On
the skin they can cause itchy rashes, eczema and hives. They can cause a
range of allergies and illnesses such as allergic rhinitis, asthma, allergic
bronchopulmonary aspergillis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, conjunctivitis, and
chronic sinus and ear infections.
Damp
or wet surfaces are a breeding ground for molds, mildews, bacteria and insects
especially if cages or other animal areas are not cleaned properly.
Sensitive airways can also be affected by the odors from urine, cedar chips,
room deodorizers and disinfectant sprays, and the flea powders or insecticides
used to control fleas and ticks.
"Carpets
in the room become a trap for animal dander and are a potential reservoir for
biological contaminants," says Martin A. Cohen, ScD, CIH., Senior
Scientist for Environmental Health and Engineering, a company that specializes in
indoor air quality. Animal biology labs with independent room ventilation
units that exhaust the air to the outside are less likely to cause
problems. Cohen knows one school system that houses its animals in a
separate building. Some schools allow only turtles, hermit crabs, fish, lizards
or snakes. Others limit animal
visits and pet parades to outdoor areas.
Once
a furry animal is introduced into a school, removing it does not immediately
stop allergy problems. A central ventilating system can contaminate the
entire school. Even after thorough cleaning, the allergens persist for
months. Vacuuming just stirs up the particles. Steam cleaning and
vacuuming with a HEPA filter (high efficiency particle accumulator) may reduce
but not totally eliminate the allergens.
KNOW YOUR
SCHOOL
Read
the school manual. Knowing the district's official position on animals
can help you identify your goal. Find out who is responsible for
decisions that affect your child.
Start
with a letter to the principal. Explain that furry animals undermine your
child's health and ability to attend school. If your school principal
isn't helpful, go higher.
You
can ask the pupil services or special education director how to get
consideration for your child's allergies or to influence practices that you
feel disadvantage your child.
Is
your school ignoring district policy?
Contact
the superintendent about implementing policies. Is there no policy?
Does the policy need updating? (Some old school policies only provide for
advance notice of animal visits so that allergic students can stay home.)
Contact the town's board of education about changing old policies that
discriminate against students with allergies or developing new
health-protective and wellness policies.
ADVOCACY TIP:
BE PRO-HEALTH, NOT ANTI-ANIMAL
The
experts agree, "Environmental control to reduce exposure to indoor
allergens is a critical component of asthma management... Avoiding allergen
exposure reduces symptoms, the need for medication, and the level of airway hyper-responsiveness."
(National Heart Lung Blood
Institute, National Asthma Education Program Expert Panel Report: Guidelines
for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma.)
In
other words, exposure to an animal can make allergic people sick.
Avoiding animals helps them get better.
Your
physician's letter for the school records should be more than a list of
allergies and medications. The letter should read: "Eliminating
allergens and irritants at school is a necessary part of Mary's asthma and
allergy treatment."
WORK WITH YOUR
SCHOOL NURSE
Her
professional license and practice standards make her your best ally and
advocate. Her role is to document student health needs and plan necessary
services and adaptations. Your physician's letter is her guide to
eliminating your child's allergic and asthma triggers at school.
Where
there is no school nurse, contact the health officer at your local board of
health who investigates environmental health problems and enforces standards.
Keep
track of peak flow trends at home and at school. Good records teach
school staff about a child's airway changes and can demonstrate the effect of
allergens and irritants in the classroom. If you have an individualized
health plan (IHP), be sure it includes peak flow and symptom logs.
Provide
resources that help the school nurse educate the school community about
allergies and to advocate for health and environmental standards that benefit
everyone. Many teachers and parents may not be aware that coughing,
wheezing, sneezing, shortness of breath, rashes, hives, red, watery eyes, a
runny nose, or unusual irritability may be signs of allergy.
To
cope with rare animal visits, your doctor may recommend using cromolyn eye
drops and a few puffs of Intal to block an allergic reaction. Whether
this approach may help your child depends on his current health and the
intensity of the exposure. Someone should stand by prepared to administer
the appropriate medication if your child has a severe reaction.
YOU ARE NOT
ALONE
Allergies
to animals are common. Talk privately to parents and teachers.
Attend PTA and school board meetings. Find others with similar needs and
related concerns. You may discover someone unhappy that students don't
wash their hands after handling the animals. Someone else may worry that
classroom pets aren't being cared for properly. Other allergy, health or
disability concerns may bring people together to work for a healthier,
barrier-free school. As a team, share concerns, get input from staff and
parents, review standards in other districts, and develop recommendations for
your school.
KNOW YOUR
RIGHTS
In
the 1970s, Congress passed laws requiring schools to remove barriers for
children who were being left out and left behind. For example, schools
districts build ramps to ensure access for staff and students who use
wheelchairs. However, schools may not be equally accommodating when a
classroom pet is the barrier. A principal in Ohio told a parent to consider
home schooling when the school's animals made her daughter sick at kindergarten
registration.
"That
is rare," comments Dr. Robert Fox, president-elect of the American Association
of School Administrators. "The modern trend is to eliminate animals.
These days most schools prohibit animals because so many teachers and students
are allergic."
ADVOCATE FOR
YOUR CHILD
By
law, schools must be accessible and safe for all students. If your child
is allergic to animals, you have the right to ask the school to prohibit or
remove animals that make your child sick.
Some
administrators may be unsure what to do when the school environment or staff
practices affect someone's health. They may not know that federal law protects
students with allergies and asthma. Share the U.S. DOE information,
"The Civil Rights of Students with Hidden Disabilities under Section 504
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973," online free at http://www.ed.gov/.
If
you get no support from the principal or district authorities, contact your
state department of education. Tell your story to the Section 504
specialist in the pupil services or law division. You can also call your
regional office of the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights
(DOE-OCR) for information and advice. If all else fails, make a formal
complaint to OCR that the school is violating your child's right to a free and
appropriate public education (FAPE).
TEACHERS HAVE
ALLERGIES
Boyd
Bosma at the National Education Association's Human and Civil Rights Office
advises that "A doctor's statement ought to be sufficient to notify the
school that arrangements need to be made. Local districts or state departments
of education should have policies, health standards or guidelines for
schools. Teachers protected by collective bargaining should use their
grievance procedures for violations of health policies or unhealthful working
conditions."
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