Asthma-Friendly Schools Initiative

The Asthma-Friendly Schools Initiative is an effective, comprehensive approach that aligns with the CDC's Coordinated School Health model.

Kids and Asthma

Asthma is very common in children under 18. In a classroom of 30, approximately 3 children are likely to have asthma. School populations face a host of issues directly related to asthma, including potential asthma emergencies, absenteeism, decreased student and teacher productivity, increased health office visits, and maintaining access to life-saving medications.

In many cases, schools are not prepared to manage these issues, resulting in a school environment that may actually worsen an individual's asthma and inhibit students' learning. The goal of the Asthma-Friendly Schools Initiative is to help schools achieve their main goal—the education of students.

An Effective School Asthma Management Program

Asthma is a chronic condition that can be life-threatening if not properly managed. Children with poorly controlled asthma are more likely to be chronically absent from school which directly impacts their ability to learn, be active and healthy. Asthma can be controlled with appropriate asthma care and daily self-management activities. Managing asthma in children must involve a coordinated effort between the school, the family and the child's medical providers. Effective school asthma management may improve not only individuals' health and well-being but also a community-wide response to this growing public health issue.

The strategies and materials presented in the Asthma-Friendly Schools Initiative will help schools implement the within a Coordinated School Health Program. The key components to effective school asthma management include attention to the following principles:

• Health & Mental Health Services—Individuals with asthma must have appropriate and immediate access to healthcare. Within the school, this includes access to trained school health services staff with required resources, Asthma Action Plans, existence of medical emergency protocols, immediate access to prescribed medications, and referrals as needed to community and medical resources.
• Asthma Education—Education efforts increase knowledge among students with asthma, classmates of students with asthma, parents, and school staff about asthma and their roles in its management.
• Healthy Environments—Managing air quality is critical to asthma management in schools. Students and school staff who spend their days in a healthy environment with well-managed facilities and good air quality should suffer fewer asthma episodes and other short- and long-term health effects from environmental causes. Schools should manage indoor air quality and implement a procedure for managing students' exposure on high outdoor air pollution days.
• Physical Education and Activity—Students with asthma can participate fully in physical activity when they are symptom-free, but they may need to make modifications when their asthma is not fully controlled. School staff must be prepared to work with students individually to ensure their ability to participate and to provide appropriate physical activity when needed.

School personnel, families, community organizations and healthcare providers all have a role in making schools asthma friendly.

Encourage your school to get on board by using our Asthma-Friendly Schools Initiative Toolkit.

A comprehensive approach to asthma management in schools can seem like a large undertaking when time and resources are limited. For this reason, the Asthma-Friendly Schools Initiative Toolkit was created to help communities build a plan that better safeguards students and reduces the risk of health-related emergencies.

Incorporating the Asthma-Friendly Schools Initiative costs little to nothing for school districts. It offers educational programs for faculty, staff and students that impact asthma management, emergency response and the overall well-being of the school community. The strategies offered in the Toolkit can decrease the number of acute care visits to the school nurse as well as decrease student absenteeism.

Using the Asthma-Friendly Schools Initiative Toolkit, your asthma coalition, school administrative staff and community organizations can choose appropriate programs based on local needs and available resources – this means the approach can be unique for each school district. Your local Lung Association is available to help connect and guide you to the right tools and resources in order to make asthma-friendly schools a reality in your community.

Contact your local Lung Association today and become a champion for Asthma-Friendly Schools!