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Asthma and school

Asthma action plan - school; Wheezing - school; Reactive airway disease - school; Bronchial asthma - school

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Description

Children with asthma may need extra support at school. They may need help from school staff to keep their asthma under control and to be able to do school activities.

You should give your child's school staff an asthma action plan that tells them how to take care of your child's asthma. Ask your child's health care provider to write one.

The student and school staff should follow this asthma action plan. Your child should be able to take asthma medicines at school when needed.

School staff should know what things make your child's asthma worse. These are called triggers. Your child should be able to go to another location to get away from asthma triggers, if needed.

What Should be in Your Child's School Asthma Action Plan?

Your child's school asthma action plan should include:

• Phone numbers or email address of your child's provider, nurse, parents, and guardians
• A brief history of your child's asthma
• Asthma symptoms to watch for
• Your child's personal best peak flow reading
• What to do to make sure your child can be as active as possible during recess and physical education class

Include a list of triggers that make your child's asthma worse, such as:

• Cockroaches
• Dust
• Grass and weeds
• Rooms that are moldy or damp
• Smells from chemicals and cleaning products
• Smoke
• Food allergies
• Exercise or any other specific activity

Provide details about your child's asthma medicines and how to take them, including:

• Daily medicines to control your child's asthma
• Quick-relief medicines to control asthma symptoms

Lastly, your child's provider and parent or guardian's signatures should be on the action plan as well.

Who Should Have a Copy of Your Child's School Asthma Action Plan?

These staff should each have a copy of your child's asthma action plan:

• Your child's teacher
• School nurse
• School office
• Gym teachers and coaches

Related Information

References

Jackson DJ, Lemanske RF, Bacharier LB. Management of asthma in infants and children. In: Burks AW, Holgate ST, O'Hehir RE, et al, eds. Middleton's Allergy: Principles and Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 50.

Liu AH, Bacharier LB, Fitzpatrick AM, Sicherer SH. Childhood asthma. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 185.

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute website. Asthma management guidelines: focused updates 2020. www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/asthma-management-guidelines-2020-updates. Updated February 4, 2021. Accessed March 9, 2026.

Review Date: 2/27/2026  

Reviewed By: Jacob Berman, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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