Goal 7

Goal 7: Collaborate with families, health care professionals and school personnel to create asthma friendly schools.

The creation of asthma friendly and supportive schools can not occur without the efforts of the school community, families affected by asthma and their health care providers.

The following activities can promote collaboration to create asthma friendly and supportive environments.

Identify individuals in the school to act as Asthma Champion for the school community.  Asthma Champions can be school personnel or parents/guardians.  Asthma Champions are key for uptake and sustainability of efforts.  Assist Asthma Champions by helping them know where to find asthma related resources and the broader asthma community.

Consider inviting a local asthma educator into the school to speak, share resources and/or consult on asthma issues. Asthma educators may be available through local asthma centres.

Encourage the use of supports to maintain communication between the student with asthma, his/her parents/guardians and asthma care provider and the school community.  The Student Asthma Management form is a resource that accomplishes a shared communication of the best steps to successfully manage an individual’s asthma.

Let the school community know that the Ontario Lung Association (1-888-344-5864 (lung)) and the Asthma Society (1-866-787-4050) have toll-free asthma education and helplines to provide asthma related information and guidance and to place orders for free resources that can be distributed to the school community.