Children with asthma need proper support at school to keep their asthma under control and be fully active. Use the questions below to find out how well your school assists children with asthma:

Also in this article: Resources

• Is your school free of tobacco smoke all of the time, including during school-sponsored events?

• Does the school maintain good indoor air quality? Does it reduce or eliminate allergens and irritants that can make asthma worse?

• Allergens and irritants include pets with fur or feathers, mold, dust mites (for example, in carpets and upholstery), cockroaches, and strong odors or fumes from such products as pesticides, paint, perfumes, and cleaning chemicals.

• Is there a school nurse in your school all day, every day? If not, is a nurse regularly available to the school to help write plans and give guidance for students with asthma about medicines, physical education, and field trips?

• Can children take medicines at school as recommended by their doctor and parents? May children carry their own asthma medicines?

• Does your school have an emergency plan for taking care of a child with a severe asthma episode (attack)? Is it made clear what to do? Who to call? When to call?

• Does someone teach school staff about asthma, asthma management plans, and asthma medicines? Does someone teach all students about asthma and how to help a classmate who has it?

• Do students have good options for fully and safely participating in physical education class and recess? (For example, do students have access to their medicine before exercise? Can they choose modified or alternative activities when medically necessary?)

Resources

Contact the organizations listed below for information about asthma and helpful ideas for making school policies and practices more asthma-friendly. Federal and state laws are there to help children with asthma.

National Asthma Education and Prevention Program
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Information Center
P.O. Box 30105
Bethesda, MD 20824-0105
(301) 592-8573
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/naepp
NAEPP materials include:

• Managing Asthma: A Guide for Schools
• Asthma Awareness Curriculum for the Elementary Classroom
• Asthma and Physical Activity in the School
• Making a Difference: Asthma Management in the School (video)

Allergy and Asthma Network/Mothers of Asthmatics
2751 Prosperity Avenue, Suite 150
Fairfax, VA 22031
(800) 878-4403 or (703) 641-9595; fax: (703) 573-7794
http://www.aanma.org

American Academy of Pediatrics
141 Northwest Point Boulevard
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007-1098
(847) 434-4000; fax: (847) 434-8000
http://www.aap.org

American Association for Respiratory Care
11030 Ables Lane
Dallas, TX 75229
(972) 243-2272; fax: (972) 484-2720 or (972) 484-6010
info@aarc.org
http://www.aarc.org

American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
85 West Algonquin Road, Suite 550
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
(800) 842-7777
http://allergy.mcg.edu

American Lung Association
For the affiliate nearest you, call
(800) LUNG USA
http://www.lungusa.org

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
1233 20^th Street, N.W., Suite 402
Washington, DC 20036
(800) 7-ASTHMA; fax: (202) 466-8940
http://www.aafa.org

U.S. Department of Education
Office for Civil Rights, Customer Service Team
Mary E. Switzer Building
330 C Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20202
(800) 421-3481; TDD: (877) 521-2172; fax: (202) 205-9862
OCR@ed.gov
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OCR

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Indoor Environments Division
401 M Street, S.W. (6604J)
Washington, DC 20460
(202) 233-9370
Indoor Air Quality Information Clearinghouse
(800) 438-4318
http://www.epa.gov/iaq

This document was prepared by the NHLBI's National Asthma Education and Prevention Program, School Asthma Education Subcommittee. The NHLBI is an agency of the National Institutes of Health, a health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.