To me, it feels as though summer has barely started, but my kids are grown and graduated from college already. For parents of school-aged kids, though, back to school concerns are beginning to loom large now, with the first day of school for this fall only a month or so away.

So, it’s not too early to talk about keeping your child with asthma and allergies safe this coming school year. Going back to school means your child is entering an environment over which you have much less control than your own home. And that exposure to asthma triggers can mean an increase in asthma symptoms that can be both bothersome and health-threatening.

In fact, studies show that asthma attacks increase during the back-to-school months. And so do emergency room visits and missed school days. But don’t worry… there ARE things you can do to help keep your child happy in school this year.

1. First, assess whether your child’s school is “asthma-friendly”. Find out what potential triggers may be lurking in your kid’s classroom and work with school staff to eliminate them.
2. Next, share your child’s Asthma Action Plan with school staff, so that they’ll know clearly when your child is getting into trouble and how to help him / her.
3. Also, be sure you have an emergency, or anaphylaxis, plan in place, just in case the unthinkable happens.
4. Finally, talk openly with your child about asthma, its symptoms, triggers and how to deal with asthma effectively so that it doesn’t interfere with class time or playtime, including sports activities. Be sure your child knows to keep a rescue inhaler on board at all times and when to use it.

Learn More: Right to Carry Laws | Handling Asthma Attacks in Kids