Allergy and Medical Needs

I look forward to working with you in the 2025–26 school year! In the meantime, I want to give you advance notice about Preschool-specific requirements for students with medical needs. The most common medical needs are: asthma, severe allergies (including food allergies), seizure disorders, or any other chronic condition for which they receive regular medical care.  If your student does not have any medical needs, you may disregard this letter.

The safety and well-being of your child are our top priorities. The above mentioned medical conditions require specific forms, doctor’s notes, and medications to be kept at school at all times. Details for the specific requirements are outlined later in this letter.

ALL medications must be brought in by an adult BEFORE your child’s first day of school. Medication should never travel in a child’s backpack. Students cannot start school without the required forms and medications. Contact your child’s doctor as soon as possible to ensure everything is in place before the first day of school.

Doctors’ offices in the area are familiar with the forms that Ann Arbor Public Schools need. The forms are the same for all students in the district at all grade levels, however at the Preschool level, the forms are mandatory and there can be no exceptions. 

I understand this is a lot of information. For questions or clarification, please email or call me.

In Partnership,

Norma Martinez, RN, MSN 

Westerman Preschool School Nurse

 

CONTENTS:

• Page 2 - Severe Allergies
• Page 3 - Asthma
• Page 4 - Seizure disorders
• Page 5 - ADHD 
• Page 6 - Complex medical needs

 

Severe Allergy Requirements (food, insect bites, etc)

If your student has severe allergies to food, insect stings, latex, or other triggers (not seasonal allergies), please complete the following:

✅ Documents to Submit 

• Allergy Action Plan – Completed and signed by your child’s healthcare provider (MD, NP, or PA).
  Outlines steps to take during an allergic reaction.
• Your provider may use their own form or this form.
   
• Must include a complete list of all allergens your child is allergic to.
   
• Medication Administration Form – Signed by you (Doctor’s section may be left blank as long as I have the Allergy Action Plan). This is CRITICAL because it authorizes school staff to give medication at school.

💊 Medications to Provide (in original packaging, must not expire during the school year)

• Two Epinephrine Injectors (EpiPen, AuviQ) – To be kept at school.
   
• Liquid antihistamine (Zyrtec, Claritin or Benadryl) – Correct dosage, unopened, in original box. (No prescription needed.)
   
• Albuterol Inhaler – If prescribed for allergies or asthma and include a spacer/chamber 

📌 Important Reminders

• Forms must be sent as PDFs/scanned copies or paper copies.
   
• Both epinephrine injectors and antihistamines (Benadryl or other) are required for students with severe allergies.
   
• The school nurse will call you before school starts to review your child’s healthcare plan and discuss any needed accommodations.

 

Asthma or Reactive Airway Disease Requirements 

If your child has ever been diagnosed with Asthma or Reactive Airway Disease, we must have an inhaler and spacer at school.

Even if your child hasn’t had symptoms in years, check with their doctor before assuming the diagnosis is resolved. Every child should have a rescue inhaler at both home and school in case of an unexpected asthma attack. 

✅ Documents to Submit

• Asthma Action Plan – Completed and signed by your child’s healthcare provider (MD, NP, or PA).
  • An acceptable action plan MUST clearly state when to use the inhaler, when to call 911, and other emergency steps.
    Most doctor offices have their own form; if not, they can use this version.
•  
• Medication Administration Form – Signed by you (Doctor’s section may be left blank as long as I have the Asthma Action Plan). This is CRITICAL because it authorizes school staff to give medication at school.

💊 Medications to Provide (in original packaging, must not expire during the school year)

• Second Inhaler for School Use – In original box with prescription label.
• Spacer/Chamber (and mask if needed) – Required for preschool-aged children to ensure proper medication delivery.
  • Ask your provider to prescribe a second one for school use.

📌 Important Reminders

• Forms must be submitted as PDFs/scanned copies or paper copies.
   
• We cannot administer nebulizer treatments at school.
  • If a nebulizer is needed, the nurse will call you to take your child home for treatment.
     
• The school nurse will call you before the start of the school year to review your child’s healthcare plan and discuss any accommodations.
   

 

Seizure Disorder or Epilepsy Requirements 

If your student has ever been diagnosed with a seizure disorder (such as absence seizures, generalized seizures, or epilepsy), the school must have their emergency seizure medication on site.

✅ Doocuments to Submit

• Seizure Action Plan – Completed and signed by your child’s healthcare provider (MD, NP, or PA).
• Must include:
• Medication name, dosage, route of administration (e.g., intranasal, rectal) and when to give it
• When to call 911
• All known triggers, if any
   
•  Medication Administration Form – Signed by you (Doctor’s section may be left blank as long as I have the Asthma Action Plan). This is CRITICAL because it authorizes school staff to give medication at school.
•  
• List of ALL Current Medications – Be sure to Include ALL daily seizure medications taken at home (e.g., Keppra, phenobarbital) so staff are aware of potential side effects.
   

💊 Medications to Provide (in original packaging, must not expire during the school year)

•  Emergency Seizure Medication (e.g., rectal diazepam, intranasal Versed or other).

• A separate dose/set must be kept at school.
   
• Any other medication included in the Seizure Action Plan

📌 Important Reminders

• Forms must be submitted as PDFs/scanned copies or paper copies.
   
• The school nurse will call you before the start of the year to review your child’s healthcare plan and discuss any accommodations.
   

 

 

 

ADHD Requirements (if taking medication)

If your student has been diagnosed with ADHD and is required to take daily medication, please work with your child’s prescribing provider to develop a schedule that avoids the need for medication during school hours if possible. If that is not possible, please provide the following:.

✅ Documenrs to Submit

•  Medication Administration Form – Please have the prescribing physician complete the top part of the form. The bottom part of the form must be signed by a parent/guardian.  This is CRITICAL because it authorizes school staff to give medication at school and it is the doctor’s order for the nurse.
• List of ALL Current Medications –  If your student is taking multiple doses of ADHD medications per day, or multiple different medications, please be sure to Include ALL medications.This helps the nurse and staff be aware of potential side effects to look out for. 

💊 Medications to Provide (in original packaging, must not expire during the school year)

• A prescription-labeled bottle of medication to be kept at school - Medication(s) must be kept in the original bottle with the prescription label still attached. The dosage on the bottle must match the dosage ordered on the Medication Administration Form. 
• *** Most ADHD medications are considered controlled substances. This requires careful documentation of the exact number of pills being dropped off at school. A check-in form must be completed and signed by the parent/guardian and an authorized staff member. ***

📌 Important Reminders

• Forms must be submitted as PDFs/scanned copies or paper copies.
• The school nurse will call you before the start of the year to review your child’s healthcare plan and discuss any accommodations.
• Please coordinate with your school nurse prior to the first day of school. 
• If your child’s medication changes (the medication type, the dosage, or the time of administration), please inform your school nurse as soon as possible.  We will need a new doctor’s order each time a medication changes.

 

Complex Medical Needs 

If your child has complex medical needs - for example, if your student has been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, is fed via a g-tube, has any cardiac diagnoses, a surgical history, or has any notable congenital diagnoses or chromosomal abnormalities, we will discuss these with you closer to the start of the school year.  

Please contact the school nurse to start a conversation about how we can best meet your child’s needs at school and ensure their safety.  We will also discuss if there is a need for an Individualized Health Plan (IHP).

In some cases, the school nurse may request medical records from your child’s healthcare provider(s). Before medical records can be requested, you will need to sign an Authorization to Release Copies of a Medical Record. This will allow your school nurse to better understand your child’s complex medical needs and better facilitate a positive (and safe!) learning environment.