1. Have your child’s doctor complete a Food Allergy Action Plan (FAAP), providing clear instructions on how to treat an allergic reaction, and distribute copies to school officials. A blank FAAP is available for download in English and seven other languages here.
2. Instruct school staff to follow your child’s FAAP immediately – not to call you to assess the situation. The FAAP provides school staff members with information to quickly evaluate and treat an allergic reaction.
3. Teach all those who care for your child not to hesitate to use an epinephrine auto-injector, such as EpiPen® or Twinject®. Studies show that the sooner epinephrine is administered during an anaphylactic reaction, the better the outcome will be. EpiPen® or Twinject® trainers, auto-injector devices that do not have a needle or medication in them, are available through FAAN to help you and others practice using an epinephrine auto-injector.
4. Meet with local emergency medical technicians so that you know what to expect when you call them in an emergency.