need a nut-free school

[kuteaspie82]

What is the name of your state? New York

My daughter is deadly allergic to the smell of nuts and will be entering elementary school this coming fall. I have met with the school nurse to come up with a plan of action/protection only to find out that the school shows no interest in becoming nut-free. I understand for those with a minor allergy a nut-free table works well, however for my daughter a nut-free table in a cafeteria full of nut/peanut butter eating children will not protect her. They want to isolate her at meal times. As we all know the cafeteria is an important aspect of a childs social development. What are our legal rights? Can they do that?

 

[CourtClerk]

So, as an alternative, you would like a whole school to alter their habits for 1 child?

Yes, it's fair. Your child is in school ultimately for an education, not for a social hour. Other than that, homeschool her. Then you can completely control the environment.

 

[lealea1005]

Please clarufy whether she has a diagnosed allergy to nuts which, if exposed, will cause anaphylaxis?
What kind of reaction does she have to "the smell" of nuts?

The school has already offered to accommodate her needs during lunch period. Your child can also socialize during recess.

 

[kuteaspie82]

clarification

Yes she has been diagnosed with the allergy and has had the back prick twice to confirm, a year apart. She has gone into anaphalatic shock twice and the smell of peanuts can induce that type of reaction in her.

As to the homeschool comment, you obviously need to do your research. Please don't respond so negatively to matters in which you are ignorant to.

 

[enjay]

The school offered a reasonable accommodation. It's time, now, to teach your daughter that she needs to adapt to the world rather than expect the world to adapt to her. Life won't cater to her and you shouldn't expect a couple of hundred kids to either.

 

[xylene]

An additional reason why the school will nto go nut-free, is by doing so they are stating the school is free from nuts... not simply that they are taking appropriate action to protect daughter.

This is a liability nightmare, and you can see why. This is why nut free school plans have worked out poorly The school will be responsible for hundreds of children who will want to (and will) violate the policy.

I am also dubious about the smell allergy, as the protein in peanuts that causes the reaction is not an aromatic compound. I just don't see a good case example in the literature.

Lastly, you need to realize that having a child with a lethal allergy to a common staple food is not going to be easy and that homeschooling your child is an option to consider, by no means for life, but certainly until she is old enough to recognize and avoid her triggers without supervision as well as manage and treat any anaphylactic crisis which may occur.

 

[ecmst12]

Are you sure that the reaction to the smell of nuts is not a psycho somatic reaction caused by the trauma she has now associated with nuts? I know several people with severe nut allergies but they all require some kind of physical contact for a reaction to occur.

That said, it is definitely impossible for the school to do as you are asking. If she truely needs a nut free environment, and home schooling is not an option, then you could try a small private school that may have the ability to accomodate her.

 

[ecmst12]

Are you sure that the reaction to the smell of nuts is not a psycho somatic reaction caused by the trauma she has now associated with nuts? I know several people with severe nut allergies but they all require some kind of physical contact for a reaction to occur.

That said, it is definitely impossible for the school to do as you are asking. If she truely needs a nut free environment, and home schooling is not an option, then you could try a small private school that may have the ability to accomodate her.

 

[stealth2]

Seriously, what you're asking the school to do is enforce nut-free homes for each of their students. Not going to happen. If your daughter's allergy is so severe, then you really should be considering alternatives for her education.

 

[twnmom]

Try to be understanding and educate the ignorant

I know these posts are old, but in case you are still checking in, I thought I would respond. The need for nut-free schools is being recognized as more people are educated about tree nut/peanut allergies. Personally, before last year, I knew next to nothing about the seriousness of these allergies too. In Michigan, schools are beginning to become nut-free to protect children with life-threatening allergies. Fortunately, most parents have been sympathetic and cooperative to this change. They agree that it is not too big a hardship to give up nut products for just the school day if it will save the lives of their friends. Seriously, how selfish can a person be to insist on eating peanuts during school and risk someone's life? You can google Gill Elementary or Forest Elemntary in MI for more info.

 

[ecmst12]

Don't necro-post. And this poster is not in Michigan so your information is not relevent anyway.

 

[Zigner]

Don't necropost

 

[FlyingRon]

The experts generally feel that nut-free schools not only aren't warranted for the impact on the other students that they are NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE AFFECTED STUDENT.

I've got plenty of sympathy, but I'm not going to let some hysterical mama dictate insane policy because her precious snowflake has a problem. This goes way beyond "reasonable accommodation."

 

[Adalaide78]

Although this is an old topic, I was intrigued by it and decided to do a little research. As shown here in these two links, an "allergic" reaction to the smell of peanuts is psychological and not an actual allergic response. This of course doesn't diminish the fact that a reaction occurs. The idea that an entire school do something like tell a parent they can't pack a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for a child's lunch because 1 of hundreds of children have an allergy is frankly absurd as well as nearly unenforcable.

http://www-tc.pbskids.org/arthur/parentsteachers/lesson/health/pdf/Binky_Peanut_Allergy_QA.pdf

http://www.allergysafecommunities.ca/assets/common_beliefs_faan_2003.pdf