Advice please : medication at school.

rpc

snowleopard61 wrote: »

I wonder if it is even more conspicuous to leave the room. Very difficult for your daughter, and for you.

Isn't that up to the daughter more than anyone else? She is entitled to her privacy and if she feels that it is best served by leaving the classroom then she should be allowed that.

Being seen popping pills in class might prompt questions more than leaving class. Friends are likely to know what is happening either way (even at a "she's taking medicine" level) but those that aren't as close might come to accept her leaving the class as one of those things, but taking pills invites the question of what they are.

WestonDave

To be fair the school does need to balance her needs against the other 20-30 kids in the class - someone getting up and walking out every lesson is going to cause some disruption. So whilst waiting until lunchtime might not be a good solution, if there is a break at say 10:45 then that might be a better compromise even if its only a "transit" break where kids move from one room to another and she can be a minute or so late for the start of the following lesson. If lunch is at 12:45 its unlikely kids are expected to go more than 2 hours before that without a break.

aeb_2

I'm pleased you have a diagnosis at last. It sounds as though she has had a troubled time at school.

Perhaps the school are concerned for her safety in that her visit to the medical room may lead to her wandering about and being unaccounted for. May be she has a past history of not being able to cope in lessons, of course I'm guessing, and she might not return then the school has to look for her.

Also, when the clocks go back will the medication time need to change? I can't think that any lesson would be more than an hour long so she ought to be able to find a time during a break or lesson change which would suit everyone.

moomoomama27

Thanks for the advice. I'm just putting down the points in a letter, most helpful, especially the new policy. I've left a message for her counsellor to see if perhaps a letter can be drafted.

In response to a few issues raised. She herself has decided she wants to leave the room, she's happy to say she's off for meds, but not what they are. It would take her less than 5 mins to do this, she is responsible, and has proved she can do this, as she had a weeks supply teacher at the beginning of term who allowed her to do it!

She's in sixth form, so the lesson structures are different, unfortunately their break is 10.30am, and not another break until the lunchtime. The meds must be taken at 11am as they have a sedating effect, and also interfere with her morning and evening meds. Even being half an hour out can have bad consequences for all.

I think their reluctance us because she has a history there. Before diagnoses she was breaking down, overly emotional and truanted a lot, she was excluded twice also. Between late year 9 Until the end of year 10 she was a nightmare, so I can see why the school may feel a bit cautious, but she had a great year 11 with little occurrences of any problems, she was seeing a councillor and on meds ( different to the ones now, which could be taken before school). So they should see she's trying hard.

Unfortunately her head of year and head teacher aren't sympathetic to mental health illness. At a meeting I requested they basically reacted as if I was another parent who couldn't accept I had a naughty child and needed a diagnoses as an excuse. Even when the councillor and CAMhs got involved by stating behaviours they had witnessed which guaranteed a correct diagnoses they still argued!

Of course she is a teen as well so not all behaviours are solely down to the bi polar, but they seem unwilling to cut her any slack at all.

FBaby

I'm confused as to why she can't take it in between two lessons. Is the medicine tablets (I am guessing if they refer to paracetamol) so why would she have to wait for lunch time? Dos she need to go to an office to get the meds or does she keep them herself? Surely it isn't a case of needing to take it on the dot?

tomtontom

Can you be more specific on why she cannot take the meds at 10.30? If they interfere with her other meds can they not also be taken half an hour earlier? When does the sedating effect kick in?

WestonDave

As the timing is that critical then you will have to fight for it, but you and she will need to try to win without forcing them into a corner. It will do little good if she gets the green light to take meds at specific times but at a cost of losing goodwill etc from teachers that she may need to rely on for assistance as her course progresses. It is often easy to enforce the headline rights but very hard to stop someone countering that by being subtly discriminating where it can't be proven.


So in her case ensuring that she sits as close as possible to the door in the relevant lessons so she can slip in and out as quietly as possible and in any other ways that are relevant minimising her "footprint" on staff time.

wiogs

FBaby wrote: »

I'm confused as to why she can't take it in between two lessons. Is the medicine tablets (I am guessing if they refer to paracetamol) so why would she have to wait for lunch time? Dos she need to go to an office to get the meds or does she keep them herself? Surely it isn't a case of needing to take it on the dot?

"The meds must be taken at 11am as they have a sedating effect, and also interfere with her morning and evening meds. Even being half an hour out can have bad consequences for all"

newcook

moomoomama27 wrote: »

In response to a few issues raised. She herself has decided she wants to leave the room, she's happy to say she's off for meds, but not what they are. It would take her less than 5 mins to do this, she is responsible, and has proved she can do this, as she had a weeks supply teacher at the beginning of term who allowed her to do it!

I don’t mean to sound rude by asking this but if she is happy for the rest of the kids to know she is off to the nurse to take her meds (though not saying to them which ones), why does she not want to take them at her desk during the lesson?

tomtontom

wiogs wrote: »

"The meds must be taken at 11am as they have a sedating effect, and also interfere with her morning and evening meds. Even being half an hour out can have bad consequences for all"

Doesn't really explain anything at all. The OP needs to be far more specific with the school if she wants them to help.