Absent From School

[Guest maddiesmom]

My daughter has missed alot of school this year (1st grade). Thankfully her grades have not suffered and her teacher has 2 grandchildren with celiac so she understands... also I have not been given a hard time from the school either.. her teacher called me to come and get her yesterday morning because she was crying and saying that her stomach was hurting and she was doing the same thing this morning... she has been g.f. for about three weeks now ( we just got the results back )and up to this week has had little or no problems.. I have been very careful about the food she has gotten.. preparing it myself but I know the rist for cc are very high no matter how careful you are. I guess I really don't have a question.. just a concern.. I feel "guilty" when she misses school because she has missed so much but there is no way I am going to send her if she is crying either.... and then later on in the afternoon she seems to be feeling fine and wants to play etc.. but the rule here is no school no playing.. just taking it easy etc.... So can symptoms go away as fast as they come.... she feels fine one minute and sick the next. It has been like this for a long time. She only has 2 more weeks of school left and I am hoping by the time it starts back she will be doing alot better. Also is there some kind of letter I can get from her doctor stating her condition?

Thanks

[bnsnewman]

Hi, I don't have any advice for you other than to let you know that my daughter is the same exact way. She is in Kindergarten this year. She literally misses at least one day a week of school every week. She either is so exhausted that is is impossible to get her up and get her moving in the mornings, or she is sick, or her stomach hurts. It seems like her immune system is non-existent and she picks up everything. I have received a letter from the school a couple of times this year telling me that she has excessive absences and tardies. They've told me that technically she has missed enough days this year to be held back, though like your daughter, her grades do not appear to have suffered.

I talked to the principal and the asst. principal and her teachers, and they are all aware of what is going on. The advice that the asst. principal gave me was to fill out some paperwork that states that she has special needs (The specific plan has a name, and I'm sorry, I don't remember what it is called right now. It is a special needs plan but one that covers children with different special needs, like having ADD, etc.). If those papers are in her chart, it will protect her in a way.

Our rule here too is no school, no playing. We are learning that we need to bend that rule a bit to accomodate our daughter, as she will be very ill in the morning, and fine a few hours later. We are learning that this is what happens with her when she eats gluten, and we are all adapting.

I hope your sweet little daughter starts to feel better soon! Natalie

[pedro]

Hi

My 5.5 years old daugther is the same way. The pains comes and goes fast.

I am hoping the gluten-free diet works out, so the next school year she does not have be absent so many times.

There is a website that I obtained from this forum that is great it has lots of information and a sample of a school letter. As soon I find it I will post it for you.

I hope you little gets better.

Best regards

[Guest maddiesmom]

Thanks for your input... I feel better now.. not better that your children experience the same thing but to know we are not the only ones. I think the last time she got her report card she had missed 20 days, half of those were from having her tonsils out and out patient testing.... so it's really not that bad but we always stress that school is very important and you need to be there... of course that rule has been bent alot this school year! I will look for the post about the letter to school.. I downloaded something so I may already have it... so I can send it next school year plus I will talk to her doctor too.. I don't even have to worry about her teacher because she goes thru the same thing.... I have not gotten a letter.. since it's so late now I doubt I will but I know that if you miss 3 days in a row you have to have a doctors not etc.... I have expressed my concerns to her teacher about her missing so much but she says not to worry that her grades are great etc... but you still worry... I know that when I was younger and had to miss some days I dreaded going back just because I hadn't been there.. and sometimes when she has missed a few days she says she is nervous about going back etc... I know once she gets there she is fine but I still hate to see her that way.

Anyway.. thanks for all your concern and advice!

[gfgypsyqueen]

I believe the form you are looking for is called a "504". It is used for people with special needs and does cover Celiacs. This form provides legal protect for your child in the school system.

The your doctor, school district, or a lawyer should be able to tell you where to get this form and what information needs to be provided.

[pedro]

The pdf file I have is just a letter for the teacher explaining Celiac, and the foods allow so the teacher can refer to it anytime.

I found the letter but, I cannot upload it. If you know how, please let me know.

Take care.