Food allergies and school bus concerns - update in post

[felicity]

If you have a child with severe food allergies, would you let them ride the bus in 1st grade? If you did, what accommodations (if any) did you ask for? 

We don't actually know exactly how severe DS's peanut and tree nut allergies are, since he's never had a reaction (he was tested as a baby), but the allergist said based on his test results that DS is severely allergic, probably not airborne, but any contact and of course ingestion could cause a reaction. One example for precautions we should take is that I asked about on airplanes if we should ask them not to serve nuts, and he said that might be a good idea. It's a bit contradictory with "probably not airborne", I know. I hate that they can't give conclusive advice, but that seems to just be the way it is with food allergies.

So anyway, my concern is that even though food isn't allowed, a kid next to him could still pull out some food with nuts in it and potentially cause DS to have a reaction or at a minimum it would terrify him since he knows the risk. The only adult on the bus is the bus driver, and I don't know if I can really rely on them to be able to drive and monitor these things, and I worry DS wouldn't know how to speak up for himself quickly enough. Only kids in K sit in the very front from what I'm told. 

I was originally just going to drive him this year, and take it one year at a time to see when I'd feel more comfortable with it, but now I'm kind of dreading the drop off/pick up line situation and rethinking if I'm going overboard and letting my anxiety get the best of me. I'm curious if you've been in this situation, what did/would you do? Thanks!

[court26]

I wasn’t sure how much of a fight it was going to be but DS’s school allowed him to carry his meds in his backpack and they trained the bus driver on how to administer and made note of it on their bus route notes. DS had a ton of allergies and was a thumb sucker, so I was super relieved.

[AdaraMarie]

My dd has nut allergies of unknown severity as well. She is going into 3rd grade this year.
I understand your concern because going from K to 1st was a big change for us. She was very sheltered and protected in K and much less in 1st. I had a couple chats with the school nurse to make sure I understood everything.
We live too close for bussing so I never dealt with that, but I found that allergies are very common and the kids get into the habit of looking out for each other. On a field trip in K a girl told her dad not to sit by my dd with his pbj and different mom told me her kid asked her not to pack pbj for lunch at school because she wanted to sit with my dd without worrying about it.
All that to say, I was also worried about 1st grade, and while we didn't have this exact situation, it seems like 1st grade is when they start taking on a little responsibility for themselves, and even though I was really worried at the time, in retrospect it was for the best. Dd never expressed any worry to me before or after she saw what it was like and we used it as an opportunity to practice self advocacy. The baby steps are really necessary to get them where they need to be by middle school imo. Now at 8, I know I can send her to the pool with the neighbor and she knows what is safe, can take her epipen (even though she can'tself admi ister yet), and double checks with an adult or older sister if she has questions about food.

From the perspective I have now, I would say start out on the bus and if kids are breaking the food rule address it at that time.

[felicity]

Aug 4, 2021 12:02:15 GMT -5 court26 said:

I wasn’t sure how much of a fight it was going to be but DS’s school allowed him to carry his meds in his backpack and they trained the bus driver on how to administer and made note of it on their bus route notes. DS had a ton of allergies and was a thumb sucker, so I was super relieved.

What did they do for substitute drivers, or was that never an issue? 

[court26]

They started training more and more drivers, so I felt ok that someone would be aware and help him, but the worry was always in the back of my head about substitutes. I won’t lie.

He has now done the allergy ladder for milk and OIT for egg and peanuts and I finally relax when he goes places and rides the bus. It’s a terrible worry. I had thought at one point we would need a 504 plan and maybe you could go that route.

[felicity]

Aug 4, 2021 12:16:06 GMT -5 court26 said:

They started training more and more drivers, so I felt ok that someone would be aware and help him, but the worry was always in the back of my head about substitutes. I won’t lie.

He has now done the allergy ladder for milk and OIT for egg and peanuts and I finally relax when he goes places and rides the bus. It’s a terrible worry. I had thought at one point we would need a 504 plan and maybe you could go that route.

That's awesome you were able to do OIT for the egg and peanuts. We've loosely considered it for DS, but it is SUCH a commitment since he is allergic to all nuts except maybe not brazil nuts, but every other one they test for. They said he'd have to do OIT for each one which just seems like a lot to commit to at his age, plus eat some of each one daily forever. 

We actually do have a 504 for him, and I did ask the counselor about the bus during our last meeting and she basically said the bus drivers are trained or can be trained, but yeah there's always a risk. I was like...maybe I should drive him then? And she sort of just shrugged and said that's definitely an option. I need to reach back out to her and ask more about the bus and what we can do. Overall they have been very accommodating. 

[court26]

felicity my DS tested allergic to all tree nuts (but he has never eaten them- only had anaphylactic reaction to partially cooked egg and all testing for peanuts was much worse than egg), but the numbers slowly went down to tree nuts and by 5th grade the allergist we drove 3 hours to see for egg OIT was willing to do oral challenges with them and he passed them all despite still having skin reaction in testing. They also, I’m almost positive, combined some tree nuts for OIT, which could be helpful down the line for you! Fingers crossed something works out later on!

[felicity]

Aug 4, 2021 12:57:12 GMT -5 court26 said:

felicity my DS tested allergic to all tree nuts (but he has never eaten them- only had anaphylactic reaction to partially cooked egg and all testing for peanuts was much worse than egg), but the numbers slowly went down to tree nuts and by 5th grade the allergist we drove 3 hours to see for egg OIT was willing to do oral challenges with them and he passed them all despite still having skin reaction in testing. They also, I’m almost positive, combined some tree nuts for OIT, which could be helpful down the line for you! Fingers crossed something works out later on!

Thanks! I really hope something like this works out for DS someday. 

[CloudBee]

DS is anaphylactic to sesame. He once took a bite of a hot dog that had no sesames on it, but the bun was contaminated. We looked at him and noticed a sesame seed on his upper lip. He blistered in that spot.

I would not allow my elementary aged child with food allergies to ride without an epipen on the bus. Kids are gross and have sticky hands. You never know what your kid might pick at that's stuck to a seat, then a few minutes later chew at their nail or put a finger in their mouth.

But... my kid has been hit with sesame twice due to cross contamination, the second time needing an epipen injection. We are very cautious. (Blister on lip did not require injection, stray sesame seed injected at Panera on a sandwich did.) With anaphylaxis thing scan spiral out of control fast. My kid went from a tingly mouth and describing a prickly tongue sensation, to difficulty breathing in a matter of minutes.

[felicity]

Aug 4, 2021 13:35:23 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

DS is anaphylactic to sesame. He once took a bite of a hot dog that had no sesames on it, but the bun was contaminated. We looked at him and noticed a sesame seed on his upper lip. He blistered in that spot.

I would not allow my elementary aged child with food allergies to ride without an epipen on the bus. Kids are gross and have sticky hands. You never know what your kid might pick at that's stuck to a seat, then a few minutes later chew at their nail or put a finger in their mouth.

But... my kid has been hit with sesame twice due to cross contamination, the second time needing an epipen injection. We are very cautious. (Blister on lip did not require injection, stray sesame seed injected at Panera on a sandwich did.) With anaphylaxis thing scan spiral out of control fast. My kid went from a tingly mouth and describing a prickly tongue sensation, to difficulty breathing in a matter of minutes.

Oh wow, that sounds terrifying. I'm so afraid he won't say something soon enough and the bus driver won't be able to tell he's in distress. At least with masks this year he can't easily put his fingers in his mouth (or up his nose ugh). I'm still trying to break the habit for both those things. 

[boiler717]

I would not be okay with a bus ride without epipen access at any age. Either self carry the epi (and train bus driver) or car ride.

[dontlook]

My DD has a sever peanut allergy. She was the last one on the bus and first one off. We didn’t send an epi pen. By K she knew the severity of her allergy, not to touch or eat peanuts and not to touch or sit with anyone eating peanuts. Because she: 1. Could advocate for herself 2. Wasn’t on the bus long 3. Had experience navigating peanuts and peers during lunch I wasn’t too worried about exposure on the bus. Most of the food on the bus was candy and gum (obviously candy can have nuts but it wasn’t like a pb&j sandwich). Also, I found the kids to be very respectful of allergies. I had lunch with DD several times before covid and all of the kids knew her allergy and knew where they had to sit to keep her safe. I was surprised at how thoughtful they were at such a young age.

Another thing, around K we had the doctor give DD a thorough tutorial on how to use the epi pen. I feel better knowing she knows how to use it if she’s somewhere without us.

[thejackpot]

My kids all have nut allergies and we have been dealing with them for a dozen years, so my advice is coming from that perspective. I would feel comfortable with my child riding the school bus if the rule is no food is consumed- my son's bus ride in elem was super strict about that and it was never an issue. He wasn't permitted to self-carry until upper elem and he was trained in how to self- administer. At that age he wore a med alert bracelet but like pp have shared the kids were super aware and never wanted to hurt their friend. I have parents who I never mentioned his allergy to telling me how they have altered certain lunches to accommodate him. This has been a similar experience for my daughter. My biggest worry was truthfully lunch time and his school has a peanut free table so that is no longer a concern. Good luck.

[dochas]

Maybe they will take the food on the bus issue more seriously because of his allergy, but I would never assume that no food on the bus actually means no food on the bus. I'd want to know that they're guaranteeing no one eats on the bus.

We had a great driver who the kids always behaved for. Last year we had a different driver and the kids were eating on the bus and throwing food. The bus company also claimed the buses were cleaned nightly and in between runs "because of Covid". The same food was on the floor for days. The buses also do the HS or Middle School runs before elementary so there was food left on the bus from them. If you had asked our principal she would swear the buses were immaculate and that children never eat on them.

[browneyedgirl9]

My son has a peanut allergy. He traveled by bus in 1st grade. He keeps an epi pen in his backpack. He knows not to eat anything unless an adults checks the label and approves it.

[whattheheck]

In my district bus drivers are not informed by the District of any allergies on their bus runs (I have friends who are bus drivers for the district and my kids bus drivers were never informed of DD's allergies). As a parent I was never informed of any allergies on my kids' buses even though by virtue of knowing some of the kids I know there were allergies on the bus. My kids' bus comes so early that some mornings my kids are eating granola bars/cereal bars at the bus stop because they didn't have time for breakfast. That could spell disaster for your kid. I would have an in-depth conversation with either your transportation director or your head bus driver and get a better idea of how your district handles allergies on buses.

Does your district provide its own bussing or does it contract it out to a company? This may affect what the district is allowed to share with its drivers.

Good luck.

[felicity]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I appreciate all the different perspectives, and it gave me a lot to think about! I just wanted to update that I was finally able to talk to the school nurse, and it turns out the buses have a stock Epipen on the bus and all bus drivers are trained. She said it's rare to get the approval for lower grades to self carry, but with an Epipen on the bus I don't see any additional benefit to him having one in his backpack anyway. She said there is no eating on the bus, but when I said well...I would imagine some kids try to anyway if nobody is really watching, and she basically agreed it likely happens a lot.

DH and I decided we are still going to start out the year driving because of Covid, since this year there is no distancing on the bus. The nurse actually told me she is making the same choice for her own kids who go to different schools because the buses will be so crowded this year.

Additionally, I was just talking to an acquaintance who works with kids who have had traumas that go to court (not sure of her exact job, but she is a therapist of some kind and she is often a witness in cases) and she basically advised against riding the bus ever because terrible things happen on the bus. She fully admitted she only hears about the really bad things, but she wouldn't let her same age son ride the bus. Now I'm kind of scared of the bus for all kinds of reasons...Covid, food allergies, her stories. DH also thinks the bus is a bad idea from his experience as a kid. So...I dunno. I know it's normally fine and I never had bus problems or noticed anything bad in my school days, but I only rode it for 7th and 8th grades.

[dreamcrisp1]

As a side note, I’m shocked that so many here say allergic but have never confirmed via food challenges. They could not be allergic as testing can have false positives but that’s an aside. The standard now for most allergists is testing and then food challenges if there hasn’t been a reaction.

Anyways. I always send an epi pen with my kid. But he has had anaphylactic reactions to peanuts, eggs, dairy, peas, spelt, and beef. Plus he has other allergies though didn’t have ana reactions at the time. 2 epi pens on him at all times. But I also impress upon him no sharing of food and he doesn’t seem to be contact reactive to things.

[CloudBee]

Great update, felicity !!

I've heard that Epipens are being common stock items in school offices. (Epipens that aren't prescribed to a specific child.) You can even order wall display cases that look like glass encased fire alarm box with epipens for cafeteria walls and to keep in restaurants / venues.

I'm surprised AND elated to hear that school buses are starting to carry them!

[CloudBee]

Aug 16, 2021 23:39:24 GMT -5 dreamcrisp1 said:

As a side note, I’m shocked that so many here say allergic but have never confirmed via food challenges. They could not be allergic as testing can have false positives but that’s an aside. The standard now for most allergists is testing and then food challenges if there hasn’t been a reaction.

Anyways. I always send an epi pen with my kid. But he has had anaphylactic reactions to peanuts, eggs, dairy, peas, spelt, and beef. Plus he has other allergies though didn’t have ana reactions at the time. 2 epi pens on him at all times. But I also impress upon him no sharing of food and he doesn’t seem to be contact reactive to things.

Can I ask how old he is and how he carries them? My son has had anaphylactic reactions to pork, sesame, spontaneously, and to heat. (Rare disease causes the last 2, which also adds in ana reactions to venom and stings.) He's 8.5 and getting to the age where I don't always want to sit in the lobby or parking lot of whatever facility he's inside of for an activity. His karate teacher uses an Epipen so there was no training necessary, and we kept his injectors in a side pocket of his duffle. (Against policy, but he said it was ok.) 

He's about to start soccer and I think I need to have a similar "nod" agreement with coaches. Always bring a backpack or duffle, label the zippered Epi pocket with a tag, and talk to them. But... then we're about to move to a neighborhood where we might let him ride his bike down the road to a few houses out of sight in either direction. Keeping 2 Epipens in a hip pouch would be uncomfortable for a little guy. I'm often wondering what we'll do when he's old enough to be more out of sight or dropped off alone. He gets shots at home often for another reason, and I 100% believe based on his history of home injections and Epi jabs, he would inject himself if able when stung or sensing strong ana symptoms.

[felicity]

Aug 17, 2021 8:13:20 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

Great update, felicity !!

I've heard that Epipens are being common stock items in school offices. (Epipens that aren't prescribed to a specific child.) You can even order wall display cases that look like glass encased fire alarm box with epipens for cafeteria walls and to keep in restaurants / venues.

I'm surprised AND elated to hear that school buses are starting to carry them!

Yes our school has them in the nurse's office as well! We still have to send in an Epipen, but it's nice to know they have backups (like, what if they can't find the one we sent in an emergency?) or for kids who maybe don't know they are allergic to something. I was glad to hear they do this now. I don't know when they started, but pretty sure it hasn't been that long.