Healthy Habits - Back-to-School Tips for Families with Food Allergies

As students head back to school for a new year, those with food allergies face a unique set of challenges. Reducing the risk of exposure to allergy triggers is often easier said than done. What can families do to help their children prepare for the uncertainties that come with the school environment? 

Dr. Rani Maskatia, a board-certified pediatric and adult allergist and immunologist, and the Medical Director with Latitude Food Allergy Care, shares tips for students of all ages as they plan to return to school this fall:

Preschool/Elementary 

The focus for the youngest age groups is reducing external risks and building an environment that keeps children as safe as possible through awareness, communication, and clear emergency action plans.

Communicate with the teachers, principal and other staff who will be with your child during the school day. Let them know what are the triggers, symptoms and emergency actions for your child’s specific food allergies. Submit requests for reasonable accommodations in writing. Ask questions about the school’s policies for students with food allergies. Remember that it’s a partnership, and everyone wants to create a safe environment for every child. 

Importantly, an emergency action plan should be in place starting on the first day of school. Providing this plan and updating school forms each year is a critical part of managing food allergies. If you need updated testing, physician signed forms, or an updated prescription for epinephrine, keep in mind that back-to-school time is a busy time for any medical office. FARE's Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan outlines recommended treatment in case of an allergic reaction. The Dept. of Education also lists modifications schools can be required to provide to students with food allergies. 

Middle/High School

Tweens and teens who have been living with food allergies are now old enough to begin to advocate for their own needs. Some schools may still require paperwork and a written emergency action plan. Ideally students are beginning to manage their own self-care, including self-carrying EpiPens at all times. Parents can empower their children at this age to recognize the signs of a reaction, understand the difference between self-carrying and self-administering of epinephrine, and plan ways to stay as safe as possible in unpredictable environments. Encourage them to ask questions, read labels, and avoid peer pressure when it comes to anything they will eat or drink.

College/University

When going away to college, parents can talk through scenarios that differ from living at home ― life with roommates, eating in a cafeteria setting, parties, alcohol, etc. Self-care and self-advocacy may already be second nature for incoming college students with food allergies, but the typical daily routines and group environments will be new.

A few things to remember: 

1. EpiPen prescription renewals are the student’s responsibility when turning 18. If they’re going away to college, bring more than one set so there is always a backup in their dorm room, know where to get refills, and where to get an appointment with a doctor if there is an emergency while away from home. Know which medical services exist on and around campus (a good tip for college students in general!). If needed, plan on getting refills with your home care team while classes are on break.

2. Communication with peers and restaurants on campus is the student’s responsibility. So is filling out medical forms and making appointments (unless they’ve provided health proxies). If any of these things are new to your college student, help walk them through different scenarios and what-ifs so they can mentally prepare for their new life on campus.

3. As always, remember to carry two Epinephrine autoinjectors at all times (even parties), and check ingredients before eating.

At any stage of “back to school”, testing and treatment can reduce the burdens on students. Since food allergies can develop and change at any time, periodic testing with an allergist is critical throughout childhood. Any transition to a new school offers an ideal time to make sure your child’s food allergies haven’t changed since the previous test, and to ensure that they are not unnecessarily avoiding foods that they’re no longer allergic to. And in the long-term, treatment with oral immunotherapy (OIT) and XOLAIR (omalizumab) are options for patients of any age to provide an extra layer of protection to go back to school with much less worry. 

About Latitude Food Allergy Care

Latitude Food Allergy Care is the leading network of clinics providing life-changing testing and treatment, including oral immunotherapy (OIT), to help families with food allergies live more freely. Latitude was founded in 2018 by food allergy parents in partnership with world-renowned researchers to provide an exceptional patient experience specifically designed for the needs of food allergy patients of all ages. Led by board-certified allergists, Latitude has provided evidence-based solutions like OIT to more than 6,000 patients with single and multiple food allergies, including those with the most severe food allergies.

Latitude has four clinics in the San Francisco Bay Area, a clinic on the Upper East Side in New York City, and will open a new clinic in Brooklyn in February 2024. Latitude is affiliated with UCSF Benioff Children’s Physicians and Weill-Cornell Medicine, and partners with Columbia University Medical Center and Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy & Asthma Research at Stanford University. Latitude accepts insurance from most major carriers. For more information, please visit latitudefoodallergycare.com and follow Latitude on Instagram, Facebook, and  Linkedin.