For Parents: Making Your Child’s Asthma Treatment Work Away from Home

Your child will likely spend time at the homes of family and friends, at daycare, or at school. Being away from home can help your child learn to take charge of his or her asthma. There are things you can do to smooth the way.

At School

Arrange a meeting with your child’s teacher or the principal. If possible, include the school nurse and your child’s gym teacher or coach. At this meeting:

• Give a copy of your child’s action plan to your child’s teacher, coach, school nurse, and the administration. Go over the plan at the meeting.

• Demonstrate how to use asthma tools.

• Discuss possible triggers, such as class pets, mold, cleaning products, tobacco smoke, and perfumes and scented products worn by staff or other students.

• Work patiently with the school staff to solve problems that affect your child.

• Be sure the school staff knows what to do if your child has an asthma attack.

• Give the school your phone numbers and your child’s doctor’s phone numbers to use in case of an emergency.

In Other People’s Care

To help keep your child healthy:

• Be sure that anyone who takes care of your child has a copy of your child’s action plan. Caretakers should also understand what different types of medications do and how and when they’re used.

• Before your child visits a new friend, talk to the parents. Explain about your child’s asthma and ask about triggers in the household. This is especially vital before an overnight visit.

• Teach your child to suggest playing at your home or in another safe place if he or she sees a trigger at a friend’s house.