504 Plan: What To Include
When setting up a 504 meeting last year, there was a lot that I wanted to discuss with the staff to include in the plan. I wanted to make sure that Musa’s allergies were going to be taken seriously. I organized what I wanted to discuss in 3 different categories: outside the classroom, inside the classroom and lunch. Outside the classroom includes arriving/leaving school or other areas in the school. Inside the classroom includes learning time with the main teacher. And lunch is just that- lunch time!
Outside the classroom
I pick and drop Musa to school so he doesn’t have to self-carry epis. At school, his teacher keeps EpiPens on her whenever the kids are outside or away from the building so I know Musa is safe. This will be the first year that he will go to a different classroom for specials like music, art and PE. I will double check that all the teachers know how to use an epipen along with making sure they have easy access to it. I will also ask the teacher to take the epis to each special and bring it back with her.
It’s also important for teachers to know what constitutes a reaction in your child. In other words, when to administer the epipen versus give benadryl. If Musa is having difficulty breathing and/or responding, then an epipen must be administered right away. If he has hives or itchy skin but is otherwise able to respond to how he is feeling then benadryl is the best option, followed by a call to me while they monitor him for any other symptoms.
Inside the classroom
According to Musa’s 504, all kids are required to wash their hands upon entering the class at the beginning of the day and after lunch. Lunch is not eaten in the classroom either and only Musa is required to wash his hands before lunch. There is a portable hand washing station that is set up right outside of Musa’s classroom which is so neat and ensures the teacher can get all students to wash their hands right before they enter the class.
The nurse and I talked in depth about what products/if any make Musa react. Musa has safely used play-doh in the past despite his wheat allergy but I have asked that he wash his hands after using it in class. Otherwise as long as there are no food items being used as crafts like pastas or empty food cartons then he should be fine. If the teacher is unsure, then she needs to check with me in enough time to allow me to provide an alternative or come up with one herself.
I need to be informed of any celebrations in advance to be able to send in something for Musa. I have also offered to be a part of any field trips or opportunities where parent volunteers are needed. I love to be involved in Musa’s learning anyways and allergies makes it that much more important.
Lunch
Should Musa sit at an allergy table or with his friends? This was a tough decision for me last year. I talked to Musa about it to see how comfortable he was. He decided that it might be safest to start at the allergy table since he was starting at a new school. Quickly- by his third day of school- he realized that he wanted to sit by his friends because he wasn’t any safer at the allergy table. In reality, the table was free of peanuts and tree nuts but Musa has many more allergens. Throughout preschool Musa sat amongst his friends and knew to keep his food to himself and in his space to keep himself safe. Sitting at an allergy table did nothing but isolate Musa from his friends. So, I went ahead and emailed the nurse to change it and she kept an eye on Musa the first few days to make sure everything went smoothly, which it did!
Another point the nurse suggested to keep Musa safe at lunch was to keep all his lunch belongings to himself. At the end of lunch time, the students are called up table by table to throw their trash in the garbage. The nurse wanted to make sure Musa did not come into contact with any allergens even at the trash can. I thought that was a great idea and one less worry for me!
Trust Yourself
Once everything was in place last year I was still nervous…but I had to learn to trust the process I helped put in place. Musa did so well at school and I wanted to make sure that my anxiety didn’t transfer to him. At the beginning of each day I’d remind him to stay safe and make good choices. At the end of each day, I’d ask him how his day went from learning, to recess and lunch. Most importantly, a 504 plan is implemented to protect your child and you can change it at any time. If something isn’t working for your child then speak up and find something else that does.