Children & asthma : Canadian Lung Association

Asthma

Children & asthma

Asthma at school

If you're the parent of a child with asthma, you probably have many questions. Use our site to learn about the basics, and then see a Certified Asthma Educator or Certified Respiratory Educator to find out more about managing your child's asthma.

If your child has asthma

Find out what your child's asthma triggers and inducers are, and avoid them.
Make sure your child gets and follows good asthma treatment.
Learn how to use your child's asthma medicines and devices (inhalers, spacers) properly.
Keep the asthma rescue medicine (blue puffer) with your child at all times.
Get a written asthma action plan, and ask a Certified Asthma Educator to explain how you can use it to manage your child's symptoms.
Explain to your child what asthma is, in a way she'll understand. Explain how treating asthma will help her symptoms. Underline how important it is to follow her asthma action plan, to avoid asthma emergencies.
Remember that having asthma doesn't mean your child can't exercise. As long as her asthma is under control, your child should exercise regularly. Find out about exercising safely with asthma.
If your child is having an asthma attack, follow these instructions. Stay calm and reassure your child. If your child is calm and reassured, she'll find it a little easier to breathe.

Tell family members, caregivers and school staff about your child's asthma

Make sure that your child's teachers, her school principal and staff, her caregivers, her grandparents, and anyone else who takes care of your child knows all about her asthma and understands what to do in an emergency. Read more about asthma at school.

Make sure your child's caregivers and teachers..

Know that your child has asthma, and that asthma is serious.
Follow your child's asthma action plan- give them a copy of the plan, explain to them what it means.
Know what your child's medication looks like and how to use it. If your child has more than one medicine, explain which is the rescue medicine to be used in case of asthma attack (usually a blue inhaler). Make sure your child's medicine stays with her everywhere she goes - to school, to daycare, to a friend's house, etc.
Know what to do in an asthma attack- offer them written instructions.
Know what your child's usual asthma triggers are, and how to avoid them.
Know how to recognize warning signs that asthma is getting out of control.
Have emergency contact information for you.

Your child's caregivers may notice asthma symptoms that you haven't seen yourself. Or the caregiver may see your child hesitating to participate in games and sports because of her asthma. Both of these can be signs that your child's asthma is out of control.

Speak regularly with your child's teacher and caregivers to check if they notice anything different about her asthma symptoms. Read more about asthma at school.