Sunday 6 December 2015

Back to school with allergies - new FUN sticker range


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Fun food allergy awareness stickers

New range of lunchbox stickers, ideal for playgroup, preschool or out and about. These stickers, are a fun way to approach the subject, and to promote allergy awareness. 

 


These fun and cute, vinyl waterproof stickers are a great extra allergy alert to carers and teachers. Ideal for school, childcare, kinder or playgroup. Or social gatherings.
FUN stickers that help create allergy awareness 
Dishwasher and microwave safe. Designed for lunch boxes and drink bottles. Durable stickers, quite likely to last longer than the lunchbox or waterbottle...

Designed for children with serious allergies, but these allergy stickers are also a fun way for adults to communicate allergy awareness and food allergy education too!  Why not? 




Sunday 22 November 2015

Food Allergy Friend, Jackie Nevard

Food Allergy Friend, Jackie Nevard

Allergy awareness advocate, super mum and author of the educational series My Food Allergy Friends




It’s great to think that we can all be food allergy friends for children with serious allergies. You’ve shown us the way with your wonderful allergy education resources.


As we know allergies are on the rise; hospital admissions for severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) have doubled over the last decade in Australia, USA and the UK.  And allergic reactions frequently occur away from home. 

Many people may not be aware that anaphylaxis can also occur in children not known as being at risk of anaphylaxis. One recent study of WA schools found 55% of adrenaline auto-injectors were administered to individuals not previously identified as being at risk of anaphylaxis.


Your books feature the loveable character Thai, who helps children with allergies learn how to be safe and also feel included.  The series is such a valuable resource for food allergy parents. I know with my child we read your first book many times over. I think it’s such a scary condition to come to terms with, for a child reading books can really help emotionally. Now he is a little older he reads the books to me!
 How does “My Food Allergy Friends” series of educational books help children navigate living with allergies?

The books follow Thai & Rabbie, and their adventures discovering a life with food allergies. 

Each book covers various teaching points without overwhelming children with too many concepts, or too much information. They cover multiple allergens and young children can use the images to begin learning about foods they must avoid.

We also teach the saying 'No, Danger food!' a term that a toddler can understand. A bit like saying 'No, Hot Oven!’ Text is also colour coded: red meaning Danger and green is safe or a positive teaching point.

We tackle a birthday party, being away from home, starting kindy and then school. The books cover normal everyday situations children face. Thai’s positive attitude shows other children food allergies don’t have to stop you from joining in.



 Your beautifully illustrated series is not just for kids with allergies, it’s also for our “food allergy friends”.  Such as fabulous title for the series that really points out the need for food allergy friends… What is the aim of the series? How do your educational resources raise allergy awareness? 
The original aim of the series was to educate young children who have allergies, teaching them simple ways to stay safe. However, as Thai grew older I realised the importance of educating those around him.  Food Allergy is the only medical condition that actually relies on others to keep a child well. If another child eats Nutella and then plays with toys or uses the same drinking cup at kindy,quickly an allergen can come into contact with a child with allergies. That child can end up experiencing an allergic reaction due to the actions of another. This is why it is vital that all children understand allergies.

You have been running allergy awareness workshops in early child care settings, and in schools, using the teaching resources of your book series.
What has been the response?
I’m overwhelmed by the response and how much such young children actually understand, more than most adults!  Most sessions are for 3 - 5 year olds but I have plenty of two year olds sit through the stories and join in, teachers are amazed.

Over allergy week many of the centres had already read the books to the kids and I was taken aback by children becoming really excited when I pull out my banner of Thai and Rabbie. Children started telling me all about Thai, his allergies and some even knew the name of his medicine, his EpiPen. What is fantastic is most of these children don’t have allergies, but they now know how they can keep their friends safe that do have allergies at their centre. Using Thai and Rabbie also means any child with allergies is never singled out.


School sessions are really enjoyable. Some of the questions I get asked are brilliant. A grade 3 student asked what would happen if a student with allergies was asked to pick up rubbish. They realised that this would be potentially dangerous for someone with allergies.  My own son with a milk allergy has been asked to pick up a yoghurt container at school, so it was a brilliant question.  I think it is also an eye opener for students and staff when I read off some of the ingredients in everyday foods.









 What are the some of the challenges you face as an allergy mum? Or that you find is a challenge for your son, whom the character Thai is based on?

As Thai has reached each developmental stage we have faced different challenges. When kids are little you teach them not to put food they pick up off the floor in their mouths and not to share food. For Thai, I think he is affected most by the social impact allergies have on him. He just wants to do and have what all his friends are doing or eating. Having safe cake means he can join in, but he is still aware that this makes him different and he can’t be as carefree as his peers.

For me, the biggest challenge is school. Even with a school that has 20 kids with EpiPens, the first year was very hard. I don’t believe parents should have to battle to keep life-saving medicine in the classroom or justify why a 4 year old shouldn’t carry a medical device. Why being excluded in the classroom is wrong and the list goes on and on. Year 1 has been fantastic and the real Thai has an amazing teacher. Every state should have guidelines for staff and schools to follow to avoid these daily battles.




What would be one piece of advice you have for other allergy parents?



Don’t treat your child differently. Allergies mean we have to pre-plan everything but never let allergies define your child. Over come problems together and give them the skills and confidence to manage their allergies as they grow.


 How can an education program help raise awareness of allergies? What is the potential?

Education is the key to safe management of severe food allergies. It is not practical to ban all foods that children are allergic to, so minimisation strategies are put in place for younger years and allergy awareness can be promoted as below.
 
Ø            Promoting no sharing of food
Ø            Promoting hand washing after eating
Ø            Telling a teacher quickly if someone is having an allergic reaction
Ø            Knowing the signs of an allergic reaction
Ø            Inclusiveness

By educating children on the following areas the whole community at childcare or school becomes Food Allergy Smart, children with allergies are safer as the risk is minimised and managed.





 We have come along way in terms of protecting children with serious allergies at school and childcare, with changes to legislation in early child care centres, and some worthwhile changes in some states. For instance, in Victoria we have mandated for all teachers to receive Anaphylaxis training, and this is also the case nationally in early childhood education.
What legislative changes or reforms would you like to see in all schools in order to build allergy awareness and allergy safety for children?
Allergy education should be part of every childcare centre and school. If everyone in the classroom is Food Allergy Smart the child with allergies is safer and the risk of an allergic reaction is minimised.

Teaching kids what happens to our bodies if someone has an allergic reaction in turn means they take allergies seriously and most kids will only want to protect and keep their friends safe. Teaching no sharing of food and washing hands after eating is so simple but can make such a difference to a child with allergies. Although many kids with allergies are well educated, they still need guidance. It would be hard as a 3 year old to refuse a delicious looking biscuit, which may look safe or even like something they have eaten before. Many kids are shocked when I tell them that some potato chips contain milk, most of us that don’t have to read labels would have no idea what is actually in our food.

Allergy education also normalises allergies and helps children with the social impact and anxiety they may feel at school or kindy being around their allergens. Teaching children about inclusiveness and empathy is surely a good thing. Children with allergies are also a target for bullies, and with education and a greater understanding this may also be reduced.




Jackie, your character Thai which is based on your son, is such an approachable and likeable character that kids can relate to. I know many food allergy parents are very grateful and appreciative of the children series, which has become such a valuable resource in many homes.    
What can we as parents do to advocate for change, and to continue to build allergy awareness in the community?
Speak out, just because a school or centre has policies, they may not be the best policies for keeping your child safe.

One centre had their EpiPens under lock and key, they thought they were doing the right thing keeping medicine locked away. What would happen if that key got misplaced???  This is an example of an out-of-date policy that needed to be changed.

I’m currently trying to get a change happening in schools and childcare centres. 










Your books are such a welcome and wonderful resource to our community, and your tireless dedication is inspiring. What inspires you?

Thank you Kylie. Thai is my inspiration, like any mother I will do anything to keep my child safe. When I realised that nobody was actually educating kids and there was very limited resources out for young children,I set about changing this. I wanted a book about a real person, not an animal and I wanted to talk about real medicine so Thai grew up knowing what to ask for.

My family are amazing, both my boys always want to join me at events and other children love this. My husband, also the book illustrator, also keeps me going, this year he was also diagnosed with a fish allergy. I couldn’t do what I do without their support.

I also love hearing from parents that tell me how the books or Thai & Rabbie have made a difference, this really keeps me going and pushes me to create more resources. I would love to produce a video and an app. but sadly lacking the resources at the moment to complete this. No doubt as we face different challenges, Thai & Rabbie will be seen in chapter books and dealing with life as a teenager!!!



Thank you again Jackie for being such a great food allergy (community) friend

Find out more

My Food Allergy Friends workshops







Or to show your support for an education allergy program contact Jackie



If you would like to see a national allergy education program nationally feel free to contact your local federal member of parliament, and let them you support such a program.



Purchase  My Food Allergy Friends



        

Thursday 29 October 2015

Be allergy friendly this Halloween



Be allergy friendly this Halloween

…Pass it on

Keep kids with allergies safe this Halloween

We all want to keep children with food allergies safe. If you are participating in trick or treating in your neighbourhood, or hosting a Halloween fun activity show you care and consider kids with allergies, coeliac, and food intolerances.






Be inclusive and keep kids safe this Halloween. If you are participating in trick or treating or Halloween fun here are a few ideas to be safe and inclusive…


#Offer non food treats. This way no one misses out. Bubble mix, glow sticks, spooky stickers, colouring pages or small Halloween themed toys are always a hit! 

#Food treats in wrappers with a clear label of ingredients, treats made in Australia should have clear labels and allergen statements for parents to read. Ask the parent to read the labels for you when you are offering food treats to children with allergies just to make sure.

#Consider food treats that are not only nut free but dairy and wheat free too. Many children with allergies may have a dairy, banana, seafood or wheat allergy for instance, or any kind of allergy that is not nuts. Children with coeliac cannot have any wheat or gluten.

#Don’t offer baked goods, which could have allergens. If you don’t live with allergies it may be difficult to be sure you are preparing safe food for children with allergies, it’s not worth the risk.  

# Ask the children’s parents if the children you are offering treats to have any food allergies, before offering treats. Up to one in ten children in Australia have a food allergy.

# Have fun and STAY SAFE
If you or your child has a serious allergy and is at risk of anaphylaxis, always carry your epipens when you are out and about. And always double check ingredients on the label, sometimes manufacturers do change ingredients.

# Switch witch idea. Bring your own safe treats to switch if those on offer are not safe for your food allergic child. Swap or even wait until you get home to swap for safe treats if you have taken a non safe treat

# Be allergy aware, don’t share. It’s a good idea to promote allergy awareness amongst all children. Swapping treats without checking isn’t safe. Always encourage to children to check before swapping any food treats. And remind children not to swap sweets or food at school!


 Find out more about teal pumpkins and allergy friendly ideas for Halloween...


What are teal pumpkins and what is the teal pumpkin project?
Great story about an allergy mum who started it all ...

Teal Pumpkin Project, promoted by FARE a US Allergy advocate organisation


Great allergy friendly recipes and spooky fun ideas from Allergy Adventures

Allergy friendly halloween poster
http://www.foodallergy.org/document.doc?id=352



Have fun and keep safe this Halloween!



Monday 12 October 2015

Allergy friendly and inclusive class celebrations It's as easy as 1, 2, 3...



Allergy friendly and inclusive class celebrations
It's as easy as  1,   2,  3... 

 Food treats are still common in many class rooms and kinder’s today whether it’s to celebrate a birthday, or whether it’s a teacher sweet treat, fundraiser or class party.  But why risk it?

Food treats, to celebrate birthdays for instance, exclude those children who have food allergies, coeliac disease (gluten free diet), food intolerances and diabetes, and other special dietary requirements.
  
1.      Minimise risk 
Food free celebrations are an easy and fun way to help minimise risk in the class room and keep kids safe.

If a teacher decides to serve food treats in the classroom, they should be safe for all children. But, unless you live with food allergies or coeliac disease, it’s difficult to understand everything involved in serving safe food.

While healthier treats are a better avenue, they still pose a large risk for those with food allergies and even coeliac, as muffins and even cut fruit are often prepared in kitchens where allergens are present and therefore may have cross contamination/ contact risk.  

A young student of mine with anaphylaxis, had a serious allergic reaction from a contaminated drinking glass. Unfortunately a serious reaction from cross contact is not uncommon.  As an allergy parent, I have heard many stories where the cause of the anaphylactic reaction at school or childcare was caused by food brought in by a parent.  Around 25% of the reactions that occur at school, the student had not yet been diagnosed with food allergy. These reactions range from mild to severe and even fatal.
So, why put anyone under such pressure?

 2. Include all children
If you have 5 little friends in a group play date at your house, and you only have 4 icy poles, would you serve the icy-poles and make one child miss out?  
Actually, something similar did happen only the other day in my kid’s class: the teacher emailed me late in the day to say the icy pole was in the freezer at school, as she wasn’t sure if it was safe, and if I wanted to pick it up? So, my child had to sit and watch on a hot day, as the rest of the class joyfully ate their icy poles. This type of thing happens a lot to kids with allergies.
When an entire class is participating in an activity, and one child is left out, what message is this for children?

Firstly, it isolates a single child from the rest of the class. This sets them up as different, sets them up as targets for bullying. We know children with serious allergies already have a very high rate of anxiety, for them food can kill. And we know children with allergies already experience a higher rate of bullying.

By including children with allergies, and other health issues, we are leading by example. Schools can be a safe and supportive environment in which students at risk of anaphylaxis can participate equally in all aspects of the student’s schooling. We can encourage and educate our students to be inclusive.
If we adopt food-free celebrations ALL CHILDREN can be included in all school activities. Easy!

3.     Food-free celebrations in the class room

It’s an easy lesson in inclusion. Here are a few food-free celebrations ideas that I have heard about that are FUN and EASY: 
  • Non-food treats such as coloured pencils, stickers, colouring pages, always popular with kids.
  • Read a book to class, and donate the book to the school class room.
  • Instead of lolly bags, teachers could create a birthday ticket for instance, “sit by a friend” or “teacher helper “, or other pre-approved activities.
  • Class parties could be fun games or special activities, or extra recess /playground/ free time for all children.
  • Parents can choose not to send in any treat, the child’s birthday can be acknowledged without treats, and parents shouldn’t feel pressured to do so.  Class can sing happy birthday for instance.


It’s an easy equation to teach kids. Food free fun in the classroom equals inclusion and less risk. Schools can demonstrate allergy awareness, inclusive policy and equality in the class room. It’s easy! And fun!

 After all, we teach children in the playground not to exclude, to include everyone in play. So, surely we can lead by example in the class room too and include everyone. Better to exclude the food than the child.

Encouraging food free celebrations reflects an inclusive and caring environment which most schools strive to achieve. And, food free celebrations make life a bit easier at school….who doesn’t like easy? Let’s keep our schools safe and inclusive for all students.



FAST FIGURES 


anaphylaxis
·         Hospital admissions for severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) have doubled over the last decade in Australia, USA and UK.

·         Allergic reactions frequently occur away from home.  One in seven schools and one in 30 childcare services in Western Australia (WA) report having observed at least one episode of anaphylaxis in the preceding year.

·         Anaphylaxis can also occur in children not previously identified as being at risk of anaphylaxis.

·         In one US school’s study, 55% of adrenaline autoinjectors (AAIs) for general use were administered to individuals not previously identified as being at risk of anaphylaxis, with similar findings (55%) in WA schools. A more recent survey base study of American schools reported that 21.9% of episodes of anaphylaxis occurred in individuals with no known allergy at all.

Coeliac disease
·         Coeliac disease affects approximately 1 in 70 Australians. The rate of diagnosis for children is rising.

Diabetes
  • The NHS and NDSS data are the best available sources for monitoring diagnosed diabetes prevalence in Australia, yielding prevalence rates of 3.6% in 2004-05.
  • The total number of Australians with diabetes and pre-diabetes is estimated to be approximately 3.5 million. About 1.1 million Australians have been diagnosed with diabetes. For every person diagnosed, it is estimated that there is another person who is not yet diagnosed.

Reference links



RSS
http://www.allergypunk.com.au/
http://www.allergypunk.com.au/





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Tuesday 25 August 2015

Celebrate book week: Children’s literacy and allergy awareness & inclusiveness

Promote allergy awareness, inclusiveness and literacy in your school or kinder
 
This book week, don’t be left out with these fantastic series of allergy books for children… including new titles.  Promote inclusiveness, allergy awareness and literacy all in one go with these great series of seriously fun and imaginative kid’s allergy books.
 
Allergy rates are on the rise. The number of Australian children being hospitalised with potentially fatal food allergies is increasing, with a 50% jump in hospital admissions for children with anaphylaxis in recent years. Around one in ten children in Australia are estimated to have a food allergy, and it appears the rate is increasing. Coeliac disease is also becoming more prevalent, with an increasing rate of diagnosis for children in Australia.
 
 
now available in Australia
 
Allergy Adventures, children’s series of allergy books, by Hailey Phillips, UK
Allergy Adventures books help you to teach your child how to tell others about their allergy and stay safe around food. Beautiful colour illustrations by Ivana Zorn, filled with rhymes and fun activities, a positive, imaginative story to engage children.
 
http://www.allergypunk.com.au/collections/allergy-adventures-bookds-for-kids
 
 
Children will be thrilled to discover the magical world of Allergy Adventures where exciting things happen inside a lunchbox. The stories encourage children to enjoy the foods they can eat whilst learning how to question whether foods are safe for them. As an extra bonus each book finishes with a simple and tasty allergy free recipe.
 
 
Four in the series they cover; egg allergy, nut allergy, wheat/gluten allergy or coeliac, and dairy allergy. Beautifully illustrated, and fun to explore with children. Fabulous rhymes to help build allergy awareness and scaffold early literacy.
 
 
 
 
My Food Allergy Friends series, by Jackie Nevard, Australia
 
My Food Allergy Friends is a series of educational books aimed at preschool and school children. The books help educate young children about food allergies and foster allergy awareness in the community. Bright, colourful illustrations that capture children's attention but at the same time teach them many important messages.
 
A fabulous resource to help children cope with the social-emotional side of living with allergies; as well as learning how to stay safe.
 
Join Thai on his adventures. Each book looks at teaching young children different concepts, like taking a safe party lunch box, a safe cake and swapping unsafe treats in party bags, along with always carrying their medicine. A birthday party is often the first time a child can feel excluded and different due to their allergies.  The second book, Thai's Big Adventure In The City, looks at ways to handle allergies when you are away from home and the third book joins Thai as he prepares for the start of school. It Covers an allergist appointment, symptoms of an allergic reaction, introduces an auto-injector and other important lessons that can help a child when starting school.
 
http://www.allergypunk.com.au/collections/kids-allergy-books


These captivating series of children’s allergy books are excellent for early literacy, are engaging and imaginative. They help teach children to navigate living with allergies, how to be a real friend and how to live safely with allergies or coeliac without feeling left out!
 
http://www.allergypunk.com.au/collections/kids-allergy-books


 
Both series have complementing learning resources, great for teachers who want to promote inclusiveness, and promote allergy awareness in fun, imaginative and engaging ways.
 
 
 
 
 Don't forget Australian longstanding favourites in kids allergy books, by Sally Learey:
Food for me must be Nut Free  and Food for me is Gluten free
 
 
 
http://www.allergypunk.com.au/collections/kids-allergy-books



These popular stories promote awareness about allergies and coeliac, and inclusiveness in a sensitive and fun way. Great titles that children find comforting and reassuring, and have stood the test of time. Helping children to feel valued and included, and presented with intelligence and charm.  Make sure your home or class room includes copies if they haven't already!
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Allergy Punk