Food Allergy

Students with Food Allergies

Colorado Early Colleges (CEC) recognizes that students can be diagnosed with potentially life-threatening food allergies. To address this issue and to meet state law requirements concerning the management of food allergies and anaphylaxis among students, CEC will implement the following protocols.

CEC shall send out an annual notification of the Food Allergy policy prior to the beginning of each school year in the Student and Family Handbook and shall reference the Colorado Allergy and Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan and Medication Orders form. The annual notification will encourage parents/legal guardians of students for whom medication has been prescribed for treatment of a food allergy or anaphylaxis to give a supply of medication to the School Nurse or other school administrator, unless the student has an approved Authorization to Administer Medication form (CEC Medication Administration policy) that authorizes the student to self-administer the medication.

Allergy and Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan

The School Nurse, or a school administrator in consultation with the School Nurse, shall develop and implement an Allergy and Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan and Medication Orders form for each student with a diagnosis of a potentially life-threatening food allergy. The Allergy and Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan and Medication Orders form shall address communication between the school and emergency medical services, including instructions for emergency medical responders. If a student qualifies as a student with a disability in accordance with federal law, the student’s Section 504 plan, Individualized Education Program (IEP), and/or other plan developed in accordance with applicable federal law shall meet this requirement.

Reasonable Accommodations

Reasonable accommodations shall be made to reduce the student’s exposure to agents that may cause anaphylaxis within the school environment. If a student qualifies as a student with a disability in accordance with federal law, the student’s Section 504 plan, Individualized Education Program (IEP), and/or other plan developed in accordance with applicable federal law shall meet this requirement.

Access to Emergency Medications

Whenever possible, and in a timely fashion, the student’s parent/legal guardian shall supply the school with the medication needed for treatment of the student’s food allergies or anaphylaxis, unless the student is authorized to self-carry such medication in accordance with CEC’s Medication Administration policy. Emergency medications for treatment of a student’s food allergies or anaphylaxis shall be kept in a secure location in a school’s health office and only accessible to designated school staff.

Staff Training

The CEC Head of School, in consultation with the School Nurse, shall determine the appropriate recipients of emergency anaphylaxis treatment training, which shall include selected staff directly involved with a student who has a known food allergy during the school day. At a minimum, the training shall prepare staff to:

• have a basic understanding of food allergies and the importance of reasonable avoidance of agents that may cause anaphylaxis,
• recognize symptoms of anaphylaxis, and
• respond appropriately when a student suffers an anaphylactic reaction. The training shall also include instruction in the administration of self-injectable epinephrine (EpiPen).