Helping your child manage atopic dermatitis is challenging enough when they’re at home. But it can be even trickier to deal with eczema when they’re in school, especially when so many aspects of the school environment are out of your control.
“You want your child to be able to concentrate on learning, rather than not being able to pay attention because of scratching,” says Teresa Wright, MD, division chief of pediatric dermatology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.
Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do to limit atopic dermatitis triggers when your kid is in class, which will make their school days go more smoothly — and give you and your child peace of mind. Here are five ways to do just that.
1. Create an Eczema Action Plan
You’ll want to create a formal medical plan or 504 plan for your child in school. Collaborate with your child’s doctor to come up with instructions about how to care for atopic dermatitis in the classroom.
“There are a lot of ways [atopic dermatitis] can be triggered in a different environment like school,” says Dr. Wright. For example, “If your child is wearing shorts and someone cleaned a seat with some kind of sanitizer they’re allergic to, it can [cause eczema to flare up],” she says.
An action plan for atopic dermatitis is particularly critical, because the often-misunderstood condition — and its associated dry, itchy skin and scratching — can distract a child from learning. “Sometimes kids are misdiagnosed as having ADHD when they just have eczema,” says Wright, adding that some children scratch so much in school that they bleed, which can be alarming for teachers and other students.
“Different schools and teachers have different levels of comfort with kids dealing with eczema,” says Wright.
2. Ask for Accommodations
You have the right to ask for accommodations for your child, including more frequent trips to the nurse and bathroom breaks, special cleansers or soaps, and specific seating.
“It’s helpful if the school knows to avoid hand sanitizer and offers them milder soaps after going to the bathroom or before eating,” says Wright. “We see kids getting triggered by using hand sanitizers and soaps at school, which are often too harsh.”
The details of what your child will need in class can be included in the 504 plan you draw up with the help of your child’s doctor, teacher, and school administrators.
“Discuss accommodations your child might need, such as seating them away from radiators or windows, bathroom breaks for reapplication of moisturizer, and potential limitations on irritants ([such as] certain paints or other items used for projects that may cause sensitivity or irritation/inflammation),” says Jody A. Levine, MD, a pediatric dermatologist based in New York City.
It’s important to take into account that children with eczema may get embarrassed about the condition, especially in school.
“Empower your child with the knowledge that eczema is not their fault, it is not contagious, and it has nothing to do with personal hygiene,” says Dr. Levine.
3. Pack an Eczema Kit
Create a kit of supplies your child will need at school, and send it in their backpack. (They may need to give it to the teacher or nurse to leave at school and use it with supervision.)
The eczema care package should include the following, along with some extras, says Levine:
- Any creams, ointments, or medications they’ve been prescribed
- Mild, fragrance-free cleansers and soaps
- Moisturizer
- Petroleum jelly
“Depending on the severity of your child’s eczema and their individual triggers, you might also include protective clothing, gloves (for handling irritating materials), bandages, written instructions for medication, and antihistamine medication,” she says.
4. Encourage Your Child to Speak Up
Make sure you help your child feel comfortable talking to their teachers if they need to go to the bathroom or to the nurse to moisturize their skin or take a break. Talk to your child about what to do if other kids tease them, and let them know their teacher, school nurse, and counselor are there to help.
“Encourage them to speak up for themselves, and communicate regularly with their teacher to ensure they’re aware of the potential risks for bullying,” says Levine.
5. Provide Your Child With Distractions From the Itching
The itchiness of atopic dermatitis can make it really tough for a child to focus on the teacher’s lessons in school. But giving them something else to do with their hands — for example, twirling a pencil or bracelet beads — when they’re in class can actually help reframe their focus on learning, rather than scratching.
“If they’re engaged and busy, that can distract them from scratching,” says Wright. “Have them do something else with their hands. Sometimes having something like a stress ball or a fidget toy [in class] can help older kids.”
Staying on top of usual eczema treatments at home also helps with the itch-scratch cycle.
“Breathing exercises, cooling compresses, and pressing on the skin, rather than scratching, can help them concentrate, in addition to a well-managed regimen that minimizes triggers and flare-ups,” says Levine.
The Takeaway
- Write it down. Creating a 504 or formal eczema action plan helps minimize triggers, prevent unnecessary distractions and misunderstandings in the classroom, and ensure teachers and staff understand your child’s needs.
- Tailor the school day and environment to your child. Coming up with school-safe accommodations, packing an eczema care kit with fragrance-free products, and making teachers and administrators aware of how to help your child stay comfortable in class can cut down on atopic dermatitis flare-ups.
- Offer plenty of encouragement, and keep the lines of communication open. Teaching your child to speak up in school and at home, use itch-relief strategies in the classroom, and understand that eczema isn’t their fault helps protect both their skin and self-esteem.
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