When To Test.

[SGWhiskers]

I have Celiac disease so we've kept my daughter gluten free until testing would be reliable for her. Fortunately, we have an awesome support system and several gluten free friends. However, I've forgotten how old she needs to be for reliable test results. I'd rather err on the side of over cautious.

So, how old should kids be before testing is pretty consistently reliable?

[cyclinglady]

I have not found any set ages in my limited research. The older the better, though. I would consider testing before she starts school. No one wants to be deal with being sick and going to school.

I waited a year before I tested my kid (13 years old), but that was due to all the healthcare reform. We are self-employed and even though we could afford insurance, getting it was difficult! She never stopped eating gluten and had no symptoms. With two of us, we think she is doomed, but we are ever hopeful!

[StephanieL]

When DD started preschool we gave her gluten in home for a few days to be sure she didn't have a horrible reaction to it. Then when she started I knew she would get getting gluten containing snacks at school on a daily basis.  At the winter holiday break we had her tested.   She is now in K and since they don't have the same snack she is back to being gluten free except when we go out to eat.  We chose to have a gluten-free house for all the kids to keep DS safe (he's the oldest).  We have a younger kid who we are planning on the same approach with.

[SGWhiskers]

Since we are homeschooling, we don't have the pressure of lunchrooms and snacktime.

[nvsmom]

Toddlers are the hardest to test.  Usually they say 2 and under is tricky.

 

If she resumes eating gluten, remember that she'll need to be retested every two years for life.  It might be safer to just keep her gluten-free until she wants to test.

[StephanieL]

Since we are homeschooling, we don't have the pressure of lunchrooms and snacktime.

Accommodations carry over to college too so it may not be something now/today but may be something for the future you may need.

[nvsmom]

Accommodations carry over to college too so it may not be something now/today but may be something for the future you may need.

 

True. Because you don`t need the accommodations yet, there is no rush to test now if you don`t want to.

 

I`m in Canada, and homeschooling too, and up here they generally trust whatever the parent tells them.  For instance, my boys attend classes with the local public school board through the homeschool program. My oldest has a tree nut allergy, mild asthma, and a gluten sensitivity which I suspect is celiac disease but his one and only test (two years ago) was negative, but I have just told them he has those helath issues and celiac disease - they did not ask to see any proof at all.

 

I have no idea how it works in colleges, but I probably won`t have my kids in rez - most kids don`t use that up here.