When Special Education Teachers Gets Sick
3/23/2018
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During the course of my career, I have been sneezed on, coughed on, vomited on, spit on, pulled on, tugged on, cried on, been in the presence of seizures, copious amounts of blood, and even a heart attack. Insulin pumps don't scare me, neither do tracheotomies.
What really scares me the most is the potential outcome of even a very basic illness for a child with special needs, especially children who are functioning with neurological conditions which compromise their immune systems and for people with issues which impair their communication abilities.
This year's flu strains are some of the worst we've seen in quite some time. Having fallen victim to them twice this season, I'm here to tell you that even someone hale and hearty like myself found it a challenge to rebound from the ugly strains of flu all around us.
My paraprofessional and I have been diligent in wiping down each student's desk at the end of every school day. We spray common areas and surfaces. We diffuse certain oils known to abate various viruses common in schools. We lead students in hand-washing no fewer than half a dozen times a day. We have taught the kids to "vampire cough and sneeze." We have sent home notes reminding families to NOT send sick kids to school. Despite all of these efforts, 70% of my students have had the flu this year.
It's brutal.
According to a doctor in my community of approximately 28,000 people, she, alone has seen 60 patients WHO HAVE TESTED POSITIVE for the flu…IN ONE WEEK!!! That is just in HER office! One thing our town boasts is plenty of doctors and urgent care clinics-I can't imagine what the actual totals might be. Mind blown…
Let's consider for a moment just exactly WHO is in the population of neuro-disabilities who could be impacted by the flu, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
(https://www.cdc.gov/flu/highrisk/neurologic-pediatric.htm):
- Those with brain and spinal disorders or injuries
- Those with Cerebral Palsy
- Those with seizure disorders
- Those who've had strokes
- Those with intellectual disabilities
- Those with developmental disabilities ranging from mild to severe
- Those with Muscular dystrophy
Basically, the average special education teacher's classroom roster is potentially-and maybe even probably-in the line of proverbial fire.
So, what could happen? Children who have difficulty swallowing may struggle to process mucus or phlegm as do those who do not struggle. Bottom line, choking is a real risk.
Non-verbal students don't use their words to tell us they aren't feeling well, so it is up to their teachers and care-givers to pay attention to their non-verbal cues and adjust accordingly. If your school is fortunate enough to have a school nurse, have that person work alongside you to keep an eye on your kids as an additional measure of support. Most importantly, keep an open dialog with parents about their child's daily well-being and your observations of their demeanor while they're at school.
But don't get me started on the parents who knowingly send their kids to school sick! If I had a dollar for every time a parent tried to convince me their child was suffering from allergy symptoms, when in reality they had the flu, I'd be able to pay off a very nice house. If we're honest, pretty much every parent alive is guilty of having done it at least once because, well, let's face it: day care can be an issue. I get it. I get it. I get it. The fact remains, there are times in our parenting lives when we have to do what's RIGHT and weigh the risk later.
What are we going to do to teach our kids to keep clean as best they can and to communicate with us how they feel in an effort to tackle this gross set of viruses head-on?
My Really Smart Friend Dawn has been around the Special Education world for many years in both the clinical and educational settings. She offers up a list of sure-fire ways to do the utmost possible to make our kids the best flu Fighters possible:
- Teachers, add a visual cue for handwashing or hand-sanitizing on a student's picture schedule.
- If students' behaviors seem "off" or unusually cranky, perhaps they are just not feeling well. Study the "why" before sending them out to the office for the "what for."
- Do a mini-lesson or full lesson on personal hygiene and what ways they can personally care for their own flu avoidance.
- For students who are very low in their ability to understand/process information or dislike routine changes (adding in all that handwashing may seem quick and minor but to a routine-sensitive kiddo, the change matters greatly.), provide minor positive reinforcements for doing the hygiene measure properly. Make a big deal out of being a Flu Fighter!
- Make a communication book which is illustration rich with pictures for symptoms of the flu so students know what we adults are all fussing about. A student may hear us discuss a high fever, but they may not know that it means their body will feel warm to the touch or that they will feel weak and tired.
- Bulk up on the fruits and veggies as well as other nutrient-rich foods. We're all guilty of enjoying the arches of gold on occasion when we have a busy evening ahead of us, but when one's diet is steady and full of junk food, any resources for fighting a good fight are diminished or depleted altogether. Give kids a fighting chance!
- Keep your sick children at HOME. Our district's policy is they can return to school once they have been fever-free for 24 hours…even for staff. This year, I'm taking that very seriously.
- See the doctor!
- Stay out of the "pinky balls" at family fun centers-the ball pits are an identified breeding ground for a lot of communicable…let's call them "situations."
- Many believe flu shots are a good front line of defense.
I spoke with my own parents, both in their 80's, about this topic. Considered members
of a high risk group themselves, they have opted out of a lot during this flu season including going to church, shaking hands, or going to places which are crowded. They go to the grocery store when crowds will be low-during the mid-morning hours of the workweek. They take car rides through their local park in the northeast to get a fresh dose of Vitamin D and enjoy nature's snow-covered offerings unable to be appreciated within the confines of their two bedroom apartment. They wear masks when they enter a medical facility of any kind. These are good strategies to consider for our special needs students as well.
My other Really Smart Friend, Kelly, made this amazing suggestion: for kids
who are significantly medically fragile, it may be wise to discuss attendance options with the school and district. Medically fragile kids may simply be in the line of fire, so to speak, of another child's sneeze but because a sneeze's spray can travel up to 26 feet at a rate of approximately 90 miles per hour (which I learned from Dr. Oz while recuperating on the couch), no one stands a chance, especially a child who is medically fragile, not independently mobile enough to move out of the way, or who doesn't have the cognition or processing stamina to move aside or…run for the hills. Receiving approval to do schoolwork from home while remaining in the guidelines of F.A.P.E. could be a discussion worth having with district officials.
No one wants anyone to end up in the hospital.
My hope for all our children in both special education and in general education, is that everyone remains well. However, until a way is discovered by which germs are trapped and killed before reaching a human, that dream is simply that-a dream. For now, take care, wash hands, keep noses clean, use disinfectants which are safe, and be wise when thinking about venturing into a crowd of people.
Stay well!
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