CARE OF STUDENTS WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS

CARE OF STUDENTS WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS

po5335Adopted November 18, 2024

5335 - CARE OF STUDENTS WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS1

Students with chronic health conditions will be provided with a free appropriate public education if determined eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ("IDEA") or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ("Section 504"). If their impairment does not require specially designed instruction for them to benefit educationally, they may be eligible for accommodations to, modifications of, or interventions in the regular classroom, curriculum, or activity (i.e., the school setting) so that they have the same access to an education as students without disabilities. Such accommodations/modifications/interventions may be provided pursuant to a Section 504 Plan (Form 2260.01F13).

All information regarding student identification, health care management, and emergency care shall be safeguarded as personally identifiable information in accordance with Policy 8330 and Policy 8350.

Chronic health conditions, for the purposes of this policy, shall include:

  1. "peanut" and other food allergies;
  2. allergies;
  3. asthma;
  4. diabetes;
  5. seizure disorder.

The coordinated school health practices for management of a chronic health condition shall provide for:

  1. coordination of health care management activities by School Corporation staff;

  2. identification of individuals with chronic health conditions;

  3. health care action plans (individual development of "IHP"s);

  4. communication among school staff who interact with children with chronic health conditions;

  5. awareness and training of school staff regarding Corporation policy on acute and routine management of chronic health conditions, information on signs and treatment of chronic health conditions, medication and administration, and emergency protocols for dealing with reactions in "unusual" situations such as field trips.

School health practices shall provide students with chronic health conditions the opportunity for:

  1. full participation in physical activities when students are well;

  2. modified activities as indicated by the student's IHP, 504 plan, or Individualized Education Program ("IEP");

  3. access to preventative medications before activity (as prescribed by their medical providers) and immediate access to emergency medications during activity;

  4. communication regarding student health status between parents, physicians, teachers (particularly physical education teachers), and coaches.

Healthcare management activities may include:

  1. procedures to obtain, maintain, and utilize a written IHP, signed by the child's parents and physician, for each student with a chronic health condition;

  2. a standard emergency protocol in place for students experiencing a distress reaction if they do not have a written IHP on site;

  3. established communication strategies for students to use to tell an adult they may be having a health-related problem;

  4. procedures for students to have immediate access to medications in accordance with Policy5330 and AG5330 that allow students to self-care and self-administer medications, inhalers, and Epi-pens, as prescribed by a medical professional and approved by parents/guardians;

  5. prevention strategies to avoid causal elements;

  6. case management for students with frequent school absences, school health office visits, emergency department visits, or hospitalizations due to chronic health conditions;

  7. otherwise attending to the management and care of the student's chronic health condition in the classroom, in any area of the school or school grounds, or at any school-related activity or event.

Staff will be trained about chronic health conditions and their control at a minimum annually in each school in which there is a student with a chronic health condition.

This training shall include:

  1. education about chronic health conditions;

  2. the management procedures that the student and/or school personnel will be responsible for during the school day;

  3. the early warning signs of chronic health conditions;

  4. what to do in case of a distress reaction;

  5. special planning needed for school functions such as parties, field trips, before and after-school activities, particularly those involving physical activity or exercise;

  6. reporting procedures for changes in the student's physical or emotional behavior and condition; and

  7. access to appropriate consulting health professionals to address questions about chronic health conditions.

Designated staff who have responsibility for specialized services such as giving inhaler treatments or injections, or conducting glucose and/or ketone tests shall be provided training specific to the procedures, at least annually, by a licensed healthcare professional.

All applicants for employment with the Corporation who will have direct, ongoing contact with children within the scope of the applicant's employment shall attend, before or not later than thirty (30) days after the start date of the applicant's employment, training concerning recognition of the signs and symptoms of seizures and the appropriate steps to be taken to respond to these symptoms. Additionally, all Corporation employees who have direct, ongoing contact with children within the scope of the employee's employment shall attend training concerning recognition of the signs and symptoms of seizures and the appropriate steps to be taken to respond to these symptoms at least once every five (5) years. The format of the training required under this section may include:

  1. an in-person presentation;
  2. an electronic or technology-based medium, including self-review modules available on an online system;
  3. an individual program of study designated materials; or
  4. any other current method approved by the School Board that is consistent with current professional development standards.

The training required under this section must be during the Corporation employee's contracted day or at a time chosen by the employee. The training required under this section shall count toward the requirements for professional development required by the Board. The training requirements must be consistent with the training programs and guidelines developed by the Epilepsy Foundation of America or a successor organization.

The school nurse shall maintain a copy of the training program and the records of training completed by Corporation employees.

Communication by Corporation personnel with the student's parents/guardians and healthcare providers is to begin as soon as the student with a chronic health condition is identified. In the absence of school nursing services, the principal will contact the parents/guardians to discuss the need for written physician's instructions and an IHP for the student with a chronic health condition to be completed and provided to the school as soon as possible. The plan shall clearly state all accommodations and emergency care procedures for the student with a chronic health condition during school hours or at a school-related event or activity. IHPs shall be accessible to designated staff in case of a distress reaction, or suspected onset of medical distress.

If the Corporation receives a seizure management and treatment plan for a student that was developed by the student's healthcare provider, the following requirements must be met:

  1. The Corporation shall maintain the seizure management and treatment plan on file at the school that the student attends.
  2. The school nurse for the Corporation shall develop an IHP for the student that applies to the student during the school day or while the student is participating in a school-sponsored activity.
  3. A school nurse, or the school nurse's designee, shall be available to perform the tasks necessary to implement the student's IHP during the school day or while the student is participating in a school-sponsored activity.

Except in an emergency, the Corporation shall allow the student to attend to the management and care of his/her chronic health condition, as provided in the IHP.

The Corporation shall provide an information sheet to the individual who is responsible for providing transportation for or supervising a student with a chronic health condition during an off-campus school-related activity that:

  1. identifies the student with a chronic health condition;

  2. identifies potential emergencies that may occur as a result of the chronic health conditions and appropriate responses to an emergency; and

  3. provides the telephone number of a contact in case an emergency occurs.

1A chronic condition is a human health condition or disease that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its effects. The term chronic is usually applied when the course of the disease lasts more than three (3) months. Common chronic diseases include arthritis, asthma, cancer, COPD, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and seizure disorder.

© Neola 2019