[bocamom]

m son has been diagnosed with multiple chemical sensitivities.

is there any way to get respect for this in a school. his friend is peanut allergic and no one in the school eats peanuts, but I seem to get nowhere trying to get him to be allowed to use his own soap to wash his hands even though the antibacterial soaps give him a splitting headache


is there any way to get people to take this seriously? he would go to school ok and have a terrible headache by the end of the day last year, and now i am wondering if there was something else at the school making him sick. but i am afraid that there really isn't anything i can do about it. it scares me, as he has had seizures, blinding headaches, nausea and vomiting, eyes swollen shut. . . he has had the whole neurologist workup, allergist, blood, vision, etc. . . and they all agree he is sensitive to more than one chemical, it seems that carpeting, antibacterial soaps, and new clothes are particularly problematic. he is deathly allergic to several antibiotics but has no other known allergies.

and we can't go to parks because the sprays seem to make him sick, and his sick headaches can last all day and night

[tercel95]

Originally Posted by bocamom

m son has been diagnosed with multiple chemical sensitivities.

is there any way to get respect for this in a school. his friend is peanut allergic and no one in the school eats peanuts, but I seem to get nowhere trying to get him to be allowed to use his own soap to wash his hands even though the antibacterial soaps give him a splitting headache


is there any way to get people to take this seriously? he would go to school ok and have a terrible headache by the end of the day last year, and now i am wondering if there was something else at the school making him sick. but i am afraid that there really isn't anything i can do about it. it scares me, as he has had seizures, blinding headaches, nausea and vomiting, eyes swollen shut. . . he has had the whole neurologist workup, allergist, blood, vision, etc. . . and they all agree he is sensitive to more than one chemical, it seems that carpeting, antibacterial soaps, and new clothes are particularly problematic. he is deathly allergic to several antibiotics but has no other known allergies.

and we can't go to parks because the sprays seem to make him sick, and his sick headaches can last all day and night

He can't carry around his own soap to use? I wouldn't think they could tell him not to do that?

Other than that what do you expect the school to do?

[bocamom]

well, i asked to know what bugsprays are being sprayed last year and i was put off. i asled when tehya re sprayed and no one got back with me.

my concern was that the hallway where the kids sit to wait for parents is an interior hallway and maybe he is sitting right where pesticides are being sprayed and maybe if that is the case it would make sense for him to go with the aftercare kids to the playground instead. . .

i just want them to work with me to try to make his life easier. i do not want to have to quit my job and homeschool and live on welfare

[tercel95]

Originally Posted by bocamom

well, i asked to know what bugsprays are being sprayed last year and i was put off. i asled when tehya re sprayed and no one got back with me.

my concern was that the hallway where the kids sit to wait for parents is an interior hallway and maybe he is sitting right where pesticides are being sprayed and maybe if that is the case it would make sense for him to go with the aftercare kids to the playground instead. . .

i just want them to work with me to try to make his life easier. i do not want to have to quit my job and homeschool and live on welfare

Yeah that is pretty bad that they don't seem willing to work with you at all... So your kid doesn't ride the bus home from school?

[MovedfromFL]

You mentioned carpets and new clothes. Both of those are known to contain formaldehyde. You might do a search for how to remove it from new clothes. I found something awhile back about soaking in baking soda, but I can't find it now.

I would keep pressing the school (maybe call the county office) They should be able to find the time to give you that info. It burns me up to hear stories like this. Sometimes school personnel seem to care about everything but the welfare of the kids! (I used to be a teacher) Maybe they need to see a doctor's note to make it seem more real?

[Reptoid Humidian]

Maybe they need to see a lawyers letter!

[bocamom]

Originally Posted by tercel95

Yeah that is pretty bad that they don't seem willing to work with you at all... So your kid doesn't ride the bus home from school?

his school is not a school with buses. he has a partial scholarship at a private school. he seems scared of the teacher and won't assert to use his own soap, and his teacher clearly thinks I am 110% nuts and won't do anything I ask. I talked to the principal about it and he was very nice but I couldn't get the teacher changed so we'll see (the kids are not grouped by grade). I try to be really offhand about it because I don't want him to get nuts about it or learn to use it to get what he wants. i just want them to be on my team. and it owuld be great if they would also commit to trying, on the lowdown, to figure out ways to help him out and communicate with me. I see them having meetings for kids with other diagnosed issues.

i was just wondering if I have any legal rights in general with multiple chemical sensitivities or is it largely going to be like this: people thinking I'm nuts just because I'm trying to protect my kid from all this stuff that most people don't even notice. because I have been considering a well reputed gifted program at a public school but I am afraid it wil get worse and i'll have less ability to get information/help. Or will a public school be required to work with me?

[bocamom]

Originally Posted by MovedfromFL

You mentioned carpets and new clothes. Both of those are known to contain formaldehyde. You might do a search for how to remove it from new clothes. I found something awhile back about soaking in baking soda, but I can't find it now.

I would keep pressing the school (maybe call the county office) They should be able to find the time to give you that info. It burns me up to hear stories like this. Sometimes school personnel seem to care about everything but the welfare of the kids! (I used to be a teacher) Maybe they need to see a doctor's note to make it seem more real?

the stuff stays in clothes? i didn't know that. I will look that up. thanks. I just wash them with dr. bronners baby soap when they are new.

I have taken to buying Thrift store clothes. i had his uniforms made to look like the school uniforms, but with organic cotton. But who cares if it is organic if it is treated with formaldehyde anyway? I asked the company what the fabrics were treated with and they never got back with me even though I kept calling. But for no additional charge they used an untreated fabric. But they never did tell me what it is untreated with.

[angelss4]

read the book chemical free kids, it is really good!! I am a helath nut, and I am into eating organic foods, REAL foods, and no proccessed junk. I think that our children are exposed to so many chemicals now, that that is the reason why we have these problems. He should be able to bring his own soap! Antibacterial soap is actually harmfull, and is worse than doing something good. Same with antibiotics, we overuse them, and kill all of our good bacteria, which leaves nothing to fight off bad things that comee along! Anyway, try to limit your child to chemical exposure. I struggle with this all the time! We live in an apartment complex. We had ants outside, and they were going to spray for ants, & I refused, & they looked at me like I was crazy. Then, they wanted to spray chemicals on my grass, for four leaf clovers, and I said no! Weed killers were next, and I protested this, too. There are no weeds out there, so whats the point of even spraying! Anyway, we should be allowed to say what are children can and cant be exposed to, especially if it means that they could have an adverse reaction to it!!
~ sarah
sarahcoffey4444@yahoo.com

[RMD3819]

The Feingold Diet Program for ADHD

Look around that site, including the links. It doesn't exactly fit your situation but they may be able to help.

Feingold mainly deals with food sensitivities but there are some environmental components that crossover and they may have ideas to help you.

I followed this system years ago for my daughter. Through it, we discovered she is sensitive to artificial colors. HUGE difference in her behavior when they were removed.