daughter has asthma angry at school!

**llkbabob** · 27-01-2012, 01:56 PM

Hi just having a rant!
My dd has asthma and has had since she was 9 months (now 8) she's been off school due to having a cold, which is the only time her asthma starts up. She went back to school yesterday with a note 'please can she have her inhaler at such and such and whenever else she needs it thank you' Doctor's told me she can have up to 10 puffs at a time if it helps, i've even got the DR to put two-six puffs as and when required so she can have more than two puffs at a time!! (saves her going on steriods and in hospital)
Now she's comes out of school wheezing, i say you had your inhaler today? ....NO

why not? teacher didn't tell me to

I made i point of writing the note as before christmas, she came out off school wheezing and i say to her you had your inhaler today, she said i asked mrs. ? she said can you wait a bit see how you are in abit.So i say did you ask again she said no. Now i know she wouldn't of asked again, cos she worries to much about getting told off. At the time i was too angry to talk to the teacher because i would have gone mental so i left it, but this time i am really mad and don't care it i go mad at her, so wish me luck in not totally losing it this afternoon!!
I really don't think teachers know how serious asthma is

Sorry had to rant

**Tippy Toes** · 27-01-2012, 01:58 PM

That is terrible, poor thing. I would be fuming with the school.

Pipsqueak · 27-01-2012, 02:21 PM

oh that is not on.

Now I would be insisting that your daughter carry her own inhaler... after all by the time the have bothered running to get it.. after waiting to see how she is in a 'bit'... something dire could have happened. Have they not learned from the pupil who died of an asthma attack because the teacher couldn't see what was happening in front of them

I would be raising 7 bells of hell with the school and explaining in no uncertain terms that they are endangering your child, not adhering to her welfare, and so on. Demand to see the head AND put it in writing.

That is not good and I think - untill the teacher has had relevant training and your daughter is feeling better I would be keeping her off. No way would i be entrusting the school now with MY child in that situation

**EmmaReed84** · 27-01-2012, 02:37 PM

It makes me soooo mad that people just think asthma is not THAT serious. I dont suffer too badly with it generally but I am allergic to cats, dogs, horses etc. I hadn't needed an inhaler for years and never saw my asthma nurse when I moved.

My mum then got two cats and I went for a visit, not really thinking about it, after 10 minutes I was wheezing, not too badly, but I went off to bed, did not sleep at all and ended up in hospital at 6am and put on steriods. It is the most horrific feeling and I am an adult!!!

That poor child I would have kicked up merry hell the first time, written a letter of complaint AND asked to see the head... It is TOTALLY unacceptable, if your DD needed an Epipen would the teacher have said "Let's see how you are in a bit?" STUPID BLINKING WOMAN!!!! grrrr sooo mad for you x

**sfox2003** · 27-01-2012, 02:44 PM

Oh my gosh thats terrible. Go mad at them, loose it completley. They need to understand how serious this can be! People can DIE of an asthma attack!

I have bad asthma Im often on steroid tablets when I have a cold. I take very strong inhalers & know how uncomfortable it can be needing your inhaler. Shes at school, she cant learn if she cant breathe properly!!! There wont be enough oxygen going around her body!

Jesus christ! (sorry to swear) I would always take it rather than not take it, do they not see that shes in discomfort! I cant beleive they actually think 'waiting & seeing' will make it go away. At the slightest bit of wheeziness she needs to be taking it. Waiting to see how it goes could be really bad!

Give them hell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**samb** · 27-01-2012, 07:40 PM

I wouldn't hold back either! At 8 surtely they can let her have it on her or at least in her tray or something so that she can access it herself? Does the teacher have it in her desk or is it kept in the office? I would be demanding to know the protocol and challenge it. It definitely sounds as if this teacher purely does not have enough knowledge in this area and could do with some training.

**llkbabob** · 27-01-2012, 08:05 PM

Well I when mad and it felt gooood

she didn't know what to do with herself!! I did ask if she could keep it on her or at least in the classroom, but thats not allow apparently, but I don't think I will have anymore problems regarding dd having it whenever she wants it. Teachers response to do you know how serious asthma is! She replied I have heard it can be.helloo if you have a child in your class surely you would maje yourself aware off their situation, I know I would.
Will be writing a strong worded letter to headteacher about it and also asking whether there is anyone in the school with asthma knowledge/training in the school and if not suggest someone does!!!

**Tatjana** · 27-01-2012, 08:28 PM

OMG what a stupid teacher

Good for you for having a go at her, she is taking chances with your daughters health which is totally unacceptable. Please make sure you complain about her to the head, as she has already failed your daughter on 2 occasions, the school must ensure there isn't a 3rd time.

**chez** · 27-01-2012, 08:33 PM

I really cannot see any reason that your daughter can not keep the inhaller on her, Id suggest that one is kept on her and one is looked after by teacher incase hers is misplaced. This is the only reason I can think of why a school wouldnt want their pupil to have lifesaving treatment on them.

Would they make a child with an epi pen not carry it with them?

Ask to see the schools medication policy, contact Asthma UK ask or advice.Also they have information on their website on handling asthma in the schools.

Send a letter to the HT and book a meeting with them. Sounds like the school either is not following their own policy or needs total re-education

http://www.asthma.org.uk/how_we_help...an_asthma.html this may help

onceinabluemoon · 27-01-2012, 08:41 PM

Glad you are feeling better about the school now hun. Asthma can be such a scary thing and there are so many people who don't realise how dangerous it is (my own mother is one of them even though I have had asthma since childhood). Perhaps have a chat with your dd too and get her to speak up when she needs her meds rather than waiting for a teacher to spot she needs them, bless her. Hope she's feeling better soon. x

**snufflepuff** · 27-01-2012, 09:46 PM

This is something that really scares me. My 2 year old DS has asthma, just like your daughter he only rally gets it when he has a cold/ cough etc. He can get very wheezy very quickly. He's very aware though, and sometimes knows when he needs his inhaler and will ask for it.

He has an inhaler at nursery, but any time he has been wheezy or had a cold I've taken his inhaler in from home and specifically asked them to keep a close eye on him. The first time I did this, I collected him and the nursery nurse said 'he hasn't needed him inhaler, he hasn't been wheezy at all'.... yet I could hear and see him wheezing!

The next day I asked for it to be given half way through his 3 hour session and also made it clear that if they feel he needs it at any other time they must give it to him....I always tell them to call me if they are at all unsure, but that I'd rather he has it when he didn't need it, than he needs it and doesn't have it.

To be honest I think when people think of asthma, they think of someone having a 'typical' attack, literally unable to breathe etc. They don't realise that a cough/ wheeze/ noisy breathing etc still counts as asthma and needs treating.

**alwaysright** · 27-01-2012, 10:05 PM

i would also create merry hell, get the school nurse involved and insist that your daughter has a care plan drawn up, including her normal everyday care requirements and what they should do in event of an emergency. my daughter has epilepsy and she has one, they should also have a photo of her up in the staffroom with a description under with words like my name is xxx and i have asthma, that way all the staff are aware. our school also give the children a talk in case something happens in the playground so they know to run for help.

**Stapleton83** · 27-01-2012, 10:53 PM

Personally I wouldn't be going to see the teacher in question I'd be going to see the Head and asking what he was going to do about the fact that a member of his staff failed to consider the health and welfare of a student. Furthermore, I would hammer it home and say that asking her to "wait a bit" could be the difference between staying in school or having to go to hospital (a bit heavy handed I know but sometimes you need to lay it on thick to geta response)

I am asthmatic and am really sorry your daughter has been in such a situation. Is she not allowed to use her medication herself I know I always did as my mother felt I was probably more capable of knowing when I needed it and remembering how much I'd had, just a thought.

Give them hell that's what I say

**MissTinkerbell** · 28-01-2012, 04:12 PM

Thats awful.

I can't believe the school and teacher would have been so lax over the whole thing. As an ex-teacher all the schools I have ever taught in have been extremely switched on with regards to asthma. We've always had a board in the staffroom with photos of those children using inhalers and epipens so that all staff and visiting students were aware of those children. We also had TAs who were specifically trained in how to deal with an asthma attack. It is much easier to take a TA out of the classroom than a teacher.

Children were not allowed to keep their inhalers on them or in their trays (a downside of health and safety I'm afraid) but in the small schools they were kept in a cupboard in the staffroom (all classrooms, 3 of them had a door to this room) and in the larger schools they were kept, named in a tray on the shelf in the teacher's cupboard - so that they could be accessed as and when needed. They were also taken on any trip attended by those children. Spares were also kept in the school office.

I would seriously be asking the head to review their procedures on asthma and if you don't get anywhere with them go to the Governors. There's obviously a failing somewhere!

**lolli_pop243** · 28-01-2012, 04:21 PM

That's incredible!!! My daughter is not classed as Asthmatic, but has a tendency towards getting wheezy if she is out in the cold and is not wrapped up warm, so she does have an inhaler to use if she needs one. She actually has 2 at school-one in her classroom, and another one in her bag for use in the after school club.

When she changed classes, the one in her bag disappeared-her teacher did not know it was meant to stay there for after school-luckily she did not need it. That was sorted out as soon as teacher got my note about it. They have been really good about letting her use it when she needs it. If they notice she is wheezing, they get ot for her as well.

I would definitely call the head teacher about it, not the teacher.
Hugs, hope you can get it sorted out.

**wendywu** · 28-01-2012, 04:22 PM

[

QUOTE=Stapleton83;1044136]Personally I wouldn't be going to see the teacher in question I'd be going to see the Head and asking what he was going to do about the fact that a member of his staff failed to consider the health and welfare of a student. Furthermore, I would hammer it home and say that asking her to "wait a bit" could be the difference between staying in school or having to go to hospital (a bit heavy handed I know but sometimes you need to lay it on thick to geta response)

I am asthmatic and am really sorry your daughter has been in such a situation. Is she not allowed to use her medication herself I know I always did as my mother felt I was probably more capable of knowing when I needed it and remembering how much I'd had, just a thought.

Give them hell that's what I say

[/QUOTE]

Not heavy handed at all. Asthma can kill and it should be treated with caution. Stupid stupid teacher

**llkbabob** · 29-01-2012, 05:41 PM

Thanks for all your comments made me feel better. Did think I was going over the top,(deep down knew I wasn't)
I think I will go into school tomorrow and talk with the head.
Thanks again

**sandy64** · 29-01-2012, 05:50 PM

i went through this with my dd at nursery they never gave her the inhaler as they said she was ok only coughing i explained that was her asthma and if she didnt get her inhaler she would start wheezing then next day when i turned up for her poor dd was wheezing they said shed been fine but i had to carry her to docs the doctor was furious with nursery and printed out a newspaper article where a child had sadly died in school with asthma attack. since then they have been great so i no harsh but maybe worth you doing no child should suffer with asthma because teacher cant give inhaler.hope your lo is better now