[sleepingbean]

Well, we have been having some trouble with our first year in public school when it comes to gluten. There have been at least 5 instances where the teacher and or associate has forgotten and handed Bean a gluten snack to eat and / or gluten craft to play with.

Now I have sat down with her main teacher and principal to explain her illness, I have talked to the nurse, I have sent in written letter, I check in OFTEN, and I bring all her food and snacks daily. If I see someone has a birthday, I automatically bring a GF cupcake. I ask about what I can bring in for in class activities and I make the classroom playdoh. Still, there have been at LEAST 5 occurances of her being given unapproved items.

Bean is smart enough to know she shouldn't eat a lot of that stuff, and she has told them on 4 occassions, but she actually had one associate tell her she had to use the item anyway, and one time she trusted it was safe and would have eaten it (although the realized the mistake and took it back away before she did).

So, there MUST be a more fool proof way to ensure her safety in the classroom. Our open communciation doesn't seem to be doing it alone. In addition, since school has started, she has had two certain gluten reactions. The reason I know it is a gluten reaction is because it is unlike any other illness. When she gets gluten, she appears healthy, she'll be sitting there at our table, coloring or playing and she suddenly, without any warning at all, loses all bowel control and large amounts of liquid diarrhea come out. She is not otherwise "sick", and she doesn't even know what is happening, her body just relinquishes control of her bowels and she gets bad diarrhea. This has happened two times and both times, after school (within 3 hours after school each time). Previous to this, she has not had an incident in a year or more. Now, coupling this with them giving her gluten at least 5 times that I am aware of (and I would have no way of knowing if there were more) I can see we have to change something.

I'm sure some of you have some great ideas on how to address this in a more formal and effective manner. Currently I am talking to the principal and I sent out letter to her teacher and our AEA contact too.
Thanks in advance for any ideas!
warmly,
Laura