kids frequentl ill & absent from school

I wonder how any other moms deal with their kids being frequently absent
from school. DS missed school at least once a month during preschool last
year, up to a week at a time due to asthma or the resulting pneumonia.
During the winter, he was out every 2 to 3 weeks and last November, he was
ill for the entire month.

I've read that the school can give us trouble if we have excessive *excused*
absences. Is this true? Should we file a 504 plan? Does a 504 plan cause

Ericka Kammerer...

Yes, and it can be a real problem for him to keep
up after missing so much school, as well.

more trouble than it's worth? I will ask the teacher if there will be

toypup...

We did have him tested for mold, dust mites and pet allergies. We did not
find any. As for changing the carpet and getting rid of the dog, that would
be after we rule everything else out. The tests haven't shown a problem,
getting rid of the carpet is a big, expensive experiment. Getting rid of
the dog is an emotional toll for only being an experiment. We have been
without the dog for 2 weeks at a time while on vacation, and he's nearly
always had problems while on vacation. I am not against doing what it takes
to get things under control. If I knew for sure the dog was a problem or
the carpet was a problem, they would go. To get rid of them because there's
a chance of improving his asthma? Well, I'd have to rule out other
possibilities first.

There are some things I do know trigger his problems: if there is a brush
fire or an infection. We can't control those much, though.

problems with school, but I wonder if this is all out of her control.
Anyone else with this problem have advice? It's not like we know for sure
DS will have problems. DH is dreaming that DS will suddenly improve this
school year, so he does not want to take action until it's clear that we
have to.

JennP...

I don't know that you need to go through the trouble of a 504 right away. I
think you should discuss your son's health situation with his teacher,
administration and the school nurse to see what they recommend and what
their policies are. Although you know last year was a tough year (it was in
my house also) you really don't know exactly what will happen this season.

annie...

They may give you a hard time, but what can they really do? In our
district, you can't kick someone out of school because of excused
absences. They can threaten to hold a child back a year because he has
missed so much, but they can't do it without the parents approval.
We took our kids out of school for two weeks last year for a trip to
Europe. When I filled out the paperwork to let the school know they
would be gone for an extended absence, they said that they didn't
really condone long absences, but in the end, they really have no say
in the matter. I wouldn't spend time worrying about it now. Wait
and see if it becomes an issue, and when he is absent, be proactive
about getting the missed assignments completed and turned in promptly.

Ericka Kammerer...

I would want to know why his asthma isn't under
better control. What kind of maintenance routine is he
under? Being seriously ill this frequently is *not*
acceptable, in my book.

Best wishes,
Ericka