Working in partnership
Children and self-management
It is essential that families and staff work together to
achieve the best health and learning outcomes for
children with asthma.
Children and adolescents have an important role in
managing their own asthma. Families and staff can work
together to support them to increase their understanding
and confidence. What children can safely do depends on
their age and stage of development.
A national survey by Asthma Australia of parents
and carers identified the key issues for them when
communicating with staff about their child’s asthma and
other health care needs.
— P arent of child
with asthma
Other messages from the online survey
—— Asthma is a serious condition
—— Children with asthma have different triggers,
treatments and care needs
—— Staff need to know what to do in an emergency
—— Asthma Foundations offer staff training in every
state and territory
——
in Education
& Care Services
Families & staff
working together
—— 87% identified the class/home group teacher/
carer as the most important person to
communicate with
—— 97% thought that parents of children with
asthma should provide a Care Plan to the
school or care service
—— 87% chose regular “face to face”
communication as a good way to share
information between them and the staff
“Don’t be shy ...
the more carers/
teachers know the
better”
Children’s
Asthma
Did you know ...
—— One in ten children have current asthma (that’s over
350,000 school aged students)
—— Asthma is a common reason for hospitalisation of
children
—— Children’s asthma is a major contributor to their being
absent from education or care
Livewire
On average, more than one Australian dies from
asthma each day.
Young people with severe asthma aged 10-20 years
can join Livewire – a safe, moderated online forum for
those with a chronic condition. More information at
livewire.org.au
Asthma Australia provides asthma training for education
and care services across Australia. Training in schools and
preschools is supported by the Australian government.
Asthma Plans
There are many different asthma plans available.
Asthma Action Plans describe what to do when
well, when asthma symptoms occur and in an asthma
emergency.
Asthma Care Plans can be specific to an education
or care organisation, e.g. child care. Some services will
require a specific Care Plan.
Other plans can be medication specific Asthma Plans
and language/culture specific plans.
Work with the staff at your education or care service
and your child’s doctor to decide on the best Asthma
Plan for you to provide to the staff.
To find out more about asthma
contact your local Asthma Foundation
1800 ASTHMA (1800 278 462)
asthmaaustralia.org.au
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Interpreting Service
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All Asthma Australia information is endorsed by our Medical and Scientific
Advisory Committee and is consistent with the National Asthma Council
Australia clinical guidelines.
Asthma Australia information does not replace professional medical advice.
People should ask their doctor any questions about diagnosis and treatment.
©Asthma Australia 2013
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Australia License.To view
a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by-nc/3.0/au/ or send a letter toCreative Commons, 444 Castro Street,
Suite 900, Mountain View, California, 94041, USA.
This resource is supported by funding from the Australian Government under
the Asthma Management Program.
“Don’t be afraid
to remind your
child’s teacher/carer
about your child’s
condition. You’ll
usually find that they
are perfectly happy
that you are keeping
them up to date”
— P arent of child with
asthma
What YOU can do ...
How STAFF can help
Communication
Make a time to talk with the teacher or carer about
your child’s asthma
Communication
Schedule times to talk with parents/carers about their
child’s health care needs
—— Provide an up-to-date Asthma Plan from your
child’s doctor
—— Talk about what is normal for your child and their
usual triggers, symptoms and medication
—— Talk to other key staff
Update the staff regularly
Update your child’s Asthma Plan
—— At the start of each year
—— When their asthma or treatment changes
—— For school camps and excursions
Establish ways to communicate
—— E.g. email, text, phone, diaries
“Talk to the staff
and work together.
Don’t feel you have
to manage on your
own”
— Parent of child with
asthma
Medication
Provide your child’s reliever medication and a spacer
for use in an emergency
—— Include a mask for children under 5 years
—— Some children will use their reliever before
physical activity
—— Make sure medications and devices are clearly
labelled with your child’s name and date of birth
and that the medication is in date (do not store in
a plastic bag)
Ways to help your child
—— Explain asthma to your child
—— Help them identify their triggers and symptoms
—— Help them with a routine for taking their asthma
medication
—— Regularly check that they are using their asthma
medication device properly
A child cannot always communicate their need for
assistance. Tell your child what to do if they have an
asthma attack and you are not there.
1
Sit the person upright
—— Identify and promote times for information
updates, e.g. start of year, transition points,
excursions and camps
—— Encourage the provision of Asthma Plans at
these times
—— Explain your Asthma Policy to the family
—— Ensure all supervising staff are aware of each
child’s triggers and symptoms, and where to
access their Asthma Plan
—— Establish routine systems and contact persons
for dependable communication with the family
—— Inform parents/carers of all asthma incidents and
use of medication
2
Give 4 puffs of blue reliever
puffer medication
Asthma Friendly education and care
Asthma Australia can support education and care
services to take an holistic approach to asthma
management, ensuring staff work within their
professional role and act to keep children safe. This
means:
4
Training
Regular Asthma First Aid Training
Asthma and children
Equipment
Asthma Emergency Kits
Asthma is common.
Information
Asthma First Aid Posters
One in ten children have current diagnosed asthma.
Policy
Sample policies available. Policy elements
include:
—— Routine and emergency medication
management
—— Management of asthma plans
Asthma is different for everyone – individuals can
have different triggers, symptoms and medications for
their asthma, and these can also change. Tell the staff
about your child’s asthma.
A child could have their first asthma attack while at
school or in care. Asthma Emergency Kits, available
through local Asthma Foundations, are recommended
for education and care services and can assist in
dealing with these situations.
Raise awareness of asthma amongst all children,
including how they can help someone in an asthma
emergency.
Consultation with education leaders has informed this resource
— Be calm and reassuring
— Do not leave them alone
— Use a spacer if there is one
— Shake puffer
— Put 1 puff into spacer
— Take 4 breaths from spacer
Repeat until 4 puffs have been taken
Remember: Shake, 1 puff, 4 breaths
3
Wait 4 minutes
— If there is no improvement, give
4 more puffs as above
If there is still no improvement
call emergency assistance
(DIAL OOO)*
— Say ‘ambulance’ and that someone is
having an asthma attack
— Keep giving 4 puffs every 4 minutes
until emergency assistance arrives
*If calling Triple Zero (000) does not work on your mobile
phone, try 112
Call emergency assistance immediately (DIAL 000)
— If the person is not breathing
— If the person’s asthma suddenly becomes worse, or is
not improving
— If the person is having an asthma attack and a puffer
is not available
— If you are not sure if it’s asthma
Blue reliever medication is unlikely to harm, even if the person does
not have asthma
To find out more contact your local
Asthma Foundation
1800 ASTHMA (1800 278 462)
asthmaaustralia.org.au
© Asthma Australia 2013
Supported by the Australian Government
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