School Personnel

This infographic was created to highlight the issues and create awareness of childhood asthma. 

Asthma affects 7 million children in the US and is the leading cause of chronic illness in children.

It can often be hard to diagnose due to symptoms similar to other illnesses, and the fact that not all children have the same symptoms.

It is very challenging to diagnose asthma in under 5’s. The symptoms can be caused by various other illnesses, and young children do not understand well enough to use the breathing equipment that a test requires.

Read More: Asthma in Children: Symptoms, Triggers and Treatments (Infographic)

Strategies for Addressing Asthma in Schools provides a compilation of information and resources for implementing programs in schools. It was designed for staff in state health departments as they manage their asthma programs, but other individuals and groups with an interest in “asthma friendly schools” may also find it useful. None of the resources or programs included here are “one size fits all.” Every program should be tailored to the community’s context and culture and then evaluated to ensure that it is relevant, effective, and reaching the students experiencing the highest burden of asthma.

The American Lung Association's Asthma Management in Schools: Assessing a Child’s Readiness to Carry and Use a Quick-Relief Inhaler course is a free interactive online learning module designed to assist designated school health staff assess a child’s readiness to carry and use a quick-relief inhaler.

This course will teach participants to:

• Describe the barriers to access to asthma medication in schools
• Overcome barriers with a variety of resources
• Assess a child’s readiness to self-carry asthma medications in schools
• Implement support activities for all students with asthma regardless of their level of independence

This online course is a component to a larger effort that the American Lung Association is working on to improve asthma management in schools. There are several resources that can support your efforts. Please visit the Asthma Medication in Schools page on Lung.org.

• View our Interactive Learning Tool to review actions that schools can take to improve access to asthma medications in schools.
• Use the standardized Student Readiness Assessment Tool for designated school personnel and parents to help determine a child's readiness to self-carry a quick-relief inhaler.