A Question about Accommodations for Allergies

Christie Worthington asked the following question: 

Do you feel that banning food products in schools for children with allergies is the best approach? Maybe education about food allergies and training students and faculty how to react when the first sign of a problem appears and taking reasonable precautions to prevent a reaction?

(not one PC pediatrician is for banning any food products)

It doesn't have to be a long answer. =)

Again, way to step up!!!

Ari's Answer:

I see a great deal of discussion on this topic not only here in Park City but nationally. My best friend growing up had a life-threatening allergy to fish products. If he walked into a room where they were cooking fish, he would swell up. Eating food with fish could be fatal unless he had immediate attention. So I can understand how parents of children with severe allergies would advocate for an environment where a particular food product would not be present. When faced with this issue, many boards feel the need to provide guidance at the district level. In many cases, this is driven by our litigious society and the influence of insurance providers with regard to managing risk. In this respect, it is understandable why some districts adopt policies that seem overreaching. In a perfect world, children with severe allergies would be identified and the school level administrator would be able to make the necessary accommodations for the child in question. Once the child is no longer in the school, the accommodations would be lifted.