Asthma Awareness Event Planned for Billings
Helena High School junior Kirsten Aasen knows what it’s like to deal with asthma.
When she was six years old she was rushed to the emergency room struggling to breathe.
Two days later the diagnosis was asthma.
Ever since, the chronic illness has been a part of her daily life and she has learned many lessons about living with asthma, especially at school.
To create support for asthma-friendly schools, Montana Team Asthma (MTA) will present ‘Is Your School Ready for Asthma?’ at the Mansfield Health Education Center in Billings on Wednesday, May 7 from 1 to 3 pm.
MTA advocates for schools to create asthma-friendly environments that support the unique needs of students with asthma and provide these students with the best opportunity for academic success.
The event is designed to help school administrators, teachers, school nurses and other interested parties avoid what Aasen experienced many years ago.
After her initial asthma hospitalization, she was shunned by her first grade classmates for fear that they might catch the disease. Later, a middle school teacher refused to let her go to the school nurse during an asthma attack, claiming that she was faking her symptoms.
Over the course of time, Aasen has witnessed it all. “Being a student with asthma has many ups and downs,” she said. “Some people really help you without singling you out, while others drive you crazy because they don’t understand.”
However, other teachers understood the situation and helped her cope by encouraging her to fully participate in activities. For example, one gym teacher in particular allowed her to use an inhaler appropriately in class and then continue at a slower pace.
A recently released report from the state health department’s Asthma Control Program, ‘The Burden of Asthma in Montana’, highlights the fact that thousands of children in Montana live with asthma everyday. Katie Loveland, the program’s manager, notes that one in five Montana high school students has been diagnosed with asthma in their lifetime and 11 percent currently have the disease. A copy of this report can be found at http://dphhs.mt.gov/asthma
Loveland, a member of MTA, points out that the high prevalence of asthma among Montana youth poses a challenge to schools. “These numbers indicate that in a typical Montana classroom of 30 students, three students will likely have asthma,” she said. “This is significant because research shows that children with asthma have more school absences than children without the disease that may result in lower test scores and affect overall scholastic achievement.”
Creating an asthma friendly school where students with the disease can fully participate involves educating staff and students about asthma and ensuring that there is a school-wide protocol for handling asthma symptoms and attacks.
Another critical step for schools is to allow students with asthma to have easy access to their medication. A new Montana law, passed in 2006, allows students with a signed Medication Authorization form to carry and self-administer their asthma inhalers at school. “The end result of an asthma friendly school is an environment in which all students can fully participate,” Loveland said.
Unfortunately, students like Aasan are not always given the opportunity to participate in all school activities. She remembers a soccer coach who would not let her carry her inhaler on the field. “I kept having to run and get my inhaler so I eventually quit,” she said. “It was too frustrating and I did not feel safe.”
Loveland emphasizes that situations like Aasan’s do not have to be the norm in Montana schools. “With proper training for teachers and coaches and a few asthma friendly policies in place, schools can be equipped to handle asthma, and students like Aasan will be healthier and able to engage in all school activities,” Loveland said.
MTA is partnership between DPHHS, the Montana School Board Association, the School Administrators of Montana, the Office of Public Instruction, the Montana Association of School Nurses and the American Lung Association of the Northern Rockies.
For more information about asthma friendly schools and Montana Team Asthma, please contact Loveland at kloveland@mt.gov or 406-444-7304.
Page last updated: 05/05/2008
