Looking for research on emotional toll of exclusion for kids with food allergies

[ajasfolks2]

Opening Post

Guest

Help, I know I've seen articles related to the emotional toll kids suffer from constantly being excluded and singled out. I've also seen it first hand with my own son who is 5 and was being forced to sit in a desk by himself for lunch and class birthday parties. Can anyone tell me where I can find some recent research? Thanks,

MollyMaude

I came across a few when doing my master's research. Here are some links to the abstracts.

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6955/6/8

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15469377?ordinalpos=10&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14641608

I'm not sure if they are exactly what you are looking for but they definitely speak to the fact that LTFA have emotional implications.

CMdeux

Well, you could probably accomplish this with a pair of articles-- there's a recent research study (out of Sinai, I'm thinking); it looks at the frequency of BULLYING in children with LTFA.

It is many many times higher than in the general population. (There are undoubtedly studies that provide good samples of what "normal" incidence is...)


There has also been a lot of good work done in terms of the psychological impact of being bullied in the past ten years or so.

ajasfolks2

There are a couple of INCLUSION threads going -- in Schools and in School Resources that might be of help. I can't pull links for you rights now, but search on INCLUSION in the "subject of post" and then work your way through. Bet there's some help there too . . .

McCobbre

Also, read this thread.  We used this in our case for DS having a 504 (we presented on paper 4 major life activities that were affected). 

504 -- Social / Emotional Condition as: a Major Life Activity

See in particular Scott Sicherer's book and the AAP article. 

---------------------

And I can't remember--but do you have a 504 for your child?  What you describe is horrible exclusion. 

kindergartenmom

My child was granted a 504 but the school refused to put any accommodations in writing.

Mfamom

http://www.kidstogether.org/

Carefulmom

It`s illegal for the school to segregate him like that. Segregation due to disability is just as illegal as segregating him due to race or religion. Would they make an African American kid sit alone also? I`m sure not.

You haven`t really said what the reason is that you need this research, but it seems if something is going on at school, the easiest way to fight it is to point out that it is illegal. You don`t need to convince them that this is taking a toll on your child. It is illegal to segregate due to disability whether it is taking an emotional toll on the child or it isn`t. This is really clear cut.

YouKnowWho

I found this issue of Living Without by accident this week while unpacking and immediately thought of this thread.

http://www.livingwithout.com/issues/3_6/Emotional-State-Food-Allergic-Children-1022-1.html

kindergartenmom

I agree it is illegal but the school claims it is for his safety and claims the desk is pulled up near the table so he is included. I totally disagree as I've seen what this is doing to my child. I've cried, pleaded, given several alternatives. So other than calling an attorney and taking them to court I'm not sure what else I can do. I also compare it to Rosa Parks on the bus.

Carefulmom

It is still illegal whether it is due to his safety or not. My dd (age 15) had a peanut free table all through elemenatary school, and when the school tried to do what your school is doing, I called them on it. We worked it out that each pa chid could have two non-pa friends sit with them at lunch. Obviously the two kids had to bring lunches without blatant peanuts---no pbj, pb cookies, etc. Your school cannot legally do what they are doing.

If it were me, I would write a letter and print a few references off of the internet. When I went through this back around 2001/2002, I`m pretty sure that it was FAAN who gave me the references that it was illegal. Either that or you could call OCR for references.

It is blatantly illegal and I would not allow it. There are solutions other than making your child unsafe or excluding him.

Do you have a 504? If not, I would get one.

YouKNowWho

DS1 is allowed to sit at the regular lunch table and desk - however in his IHP he has to sit at the same spot so that they can wash it up before he sits at lunch and after treats in the classroom.

Guest, Dec 23, 2010

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov:80/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=16901348

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17651152?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEn trez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

http://www.chestjournal.org:80/cgi/content/abstract/133/5/1142

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14641608?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEn trez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16597075?ordinalpos=4&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEn trez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17573718?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEn trez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

http://www2.psych.purdue.edu/~kip/Announce/Docs/Outcast-Williams.doc
Draft of Presentation at the 7th Annual Sydney Symposium of Social Psychology: "The Social Outcast: Ostracism, Social Exclusion, Rejection, and Bullying"

Hayfever drops letter grade automatically
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article1929321.ece

Cognitive Sequelae of Pediatric Illnesses
http://www.childrensmemorial.org/cme/online/article.asp?articleID=172

The impact of food hypersensitivity reported in 9-year-old children by their parents on health-related quality of life
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1398-9995.2007.01559.x


Food hypersensitivity and quality of life.
http://www.co-allergy.com/pt/re/coallergy/abstract.00130832-200706000-00012.htm;jsessionid=LLTcxBcGJnPJSTcR8P6V6Lm2GGT1SCQfknjthvLN5YRW1yn8JtTG!435538499!181195629!8091!-1

Assessment of quality of life in children with peanut allergy.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14641608?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEn

Guest

It is still illegal whether it is due to his safety or not.  My dd (age 15) had a peanut free table all through elemenatary school, and when the school tried to do what your school is doing, I called them on it.  We worked it out that each pa chid could have two non-pa friends sit with them at lunch.  Obviously the two kids had to bring lunches without blatant peanuts---no pbj, pb cookies, etc.  Your school cannot legally do what they are doing.

If it were me, I would write a letter and print a few references off of the internet.  When I went through this back around 2001/2002, I`m pretty sure that it was FAAN who gave me the references that it was illegal.  Either that or you could call OCR for references.

It is blatantly illegal and I would not allow it.  There are solutions other than making your child unsafe or excluding him.

Do you have a 504?  If not, I would get one.

Anyone know where I can find this law, ruling regarding segregation?

CMdeux

Check Wrightslaw, and also check OCR's website through the Dept of Ed.

ajasfolks2

Read in our School Resource section some of the OCR letters & recommendations.

Gloucester comes to mind. 

Carefulmom

To the OP, I just posted the new AAP Guidelines on Managing Food Allergies in the School Setting. The Guidelines say that the allergen free table should include non allergic children with safe lunches and that the allergy child must not be physically separated. It is on the thread I started in Schools section. Maybe this will help you.