SADS Safe Schools

SADS Tips for Parents Re: Children and Back to School

Children or adults with inherited arrhythmias (e.g. LQTS, BrS, CPVT, etc.) are not at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 than anyone else.                           

One of the most important "take-away points" of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines to remain safe is to wear a mask—both children and teachers should be masked when at school. You should also review your school’s reopening plans to understand the steps they are taking to reduce the spread of COVID-19. 

The CDC has some wonderful tools to:

• Help you assess your child’s and your family’s risk of COVID-19;

  

• Consider factors that will help you make a choice, if offered, of instructional format (e.g. virtual, in person, or a hybrid option); and
• Prepare for the school year, regardless of format.

Read the CDC recommendations here:

Also, you won't want to miss these SADS Facebook Live videos with Dr. Ackerman:

Back to School Questions Answered by Dr. Ackerman

Ask the Experts: Back to School and Back to Sports

Closing off SADS Safe School month, Dr. Mike Ackerman discusses issues for middle school and high school kids with SADS conditions in the setting of COVID-19. Joined by Dr. Peter Aziz, Cleveland Clinic, and Dr. Aarti Dalal, St. Louis Children's Hospital.

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Because of COVID-19, class size, setting, and daily schedules will look different than in past years. Consider the risks and benefits of going back to school or keeping your child home for school. For example, in-person instruction may offer easier access to school services, improved educational efficacy, more opportunities for social interaction and return to work for some parents and caregivers, but it also has a higher risk of COVID-19 exposure for your child than virtual instruction. Families should consider whether  the student or members of the household are at increased risk of severe illness, the student’s academic needs, the level of COVID-19 spread in the community, available school transportation options, school ability to execute recommended guidelines, the student’s social-emotional wellbeing, comfort and familiarity with the school’s reopening plans, and the family’s situation and needs.1

CDC Help Children Learn at Home ²

1.    Stay in touch with your child’s school

• Many schools are offering lessons online (virtual learning). Review assignments from the school, and help your child establish a reasonable pace for completing the work. You may need to assist your child with turning on devices, reading instructions, and typing answers.
• Communicate challenges to your school. If you face technology or connectivity issues, or if your child is having a hard time completing assignments, let the school know.
  

2.    Create a flexible schedule and routine for learning at home

• Have consistent bedtimes and get up at the same time, Monday through Friday.
• Structure the day for learning, free time, healthy meals and snacks, and physical activity.
  
• Allow flexibility in the schedule—it is okay to adapt based on your day.
  

3.    Consider the needs and adjustment required for your child’s age group

• The transition to being at home will be different for preschoolers, K-5, middle school students, and high school students. Talk to your child about expectations and how they are adjusting to being at home versus at school.
• Consider ways your child can stay connected with their friends without spending time in person.
  

4.    Look for ways to make learning fun

• Have hands-on activities, like puzzles, painting, drawing, and making things.
• Independent play can also be used in place of structured learning. Encourage children to build a fort from sheets or practice counting by stacking blocks.
  
• Practice handwriting and grammar by writing letters to family members. This is a great way to connect and limit face-to-face contact.
  
• Start a journal with your child to document this time and discuss the shared experience.
  
• Use audiobooks or see if your local library is hosting virtual or live-streamed reading events.
  

References:

1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Household and Community Risks – Web Accessed 7/29/2020:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/decision-tool.html

2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Help Children Learn at Home - Web accessed 7/28/2020:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/children/learning.html

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SADS Back-to-School Checklist

The SADS Foundation Back-To-School Checklist will walk you through the necessary steps and provide you with the tools needed to help create a safe school environment for your children (including care plans for the school nurse).

SADS Safe Schools Packet

The SADS Foundation SADS Safe Schools Packet has materials and information to help educate your child’s school personnel on how to keep your child safe, as well as how to recognize warning signs in other students.

What the SADS Foundation Recommends

1. Every child should have a risk assessment history at regular intervals: preschool, before/during middle school, before/during high school and before participation in organized sports.
2. Every school should have a medical emergency response plan (or a emergency action plan) in place, which includes a plan for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and an automated external defibrillator (AED) in schools.
3. Every schoolchild with a SADS condition should have an individualized care plan in place.
4. Every school with a child who has a diagnosed SADS condition should have an AED program.
5. All high school students should be trained in CPR and AED protocol as a requirement for graduation.
6. Everyone should be aware of the warning signs that may indicate a child at risk of a sudden cardiac arrest.

SADS School Care Plans

Care plans are important tools in aiding school health professionals to ensure SADS kids safety at school. The SADS Foundation recommends all children with a SADS condition have an Individualized Healthcare Plan, a school Medical Emergency Response Plan or Emergency Action Plan (Sample Medical Emergency Response Plan) and an AED program in place at their school. If you have a SADS child at your school and have not had a discussion with their parents about care plans, we strongly suggest you do so today!

Use one of the following care plans that are specifically designed for a child with a SADS condition.

• ICD Care Plan
• Long QT Syndrome Care Plan
• Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome Care Plan
• Brugada Syndrome Care Plan
• Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (CPVT) Care Plan
• Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia (ARVD) Care Plan

Consider Raising Awareness at your school:

1. Put SADS posters in hallways, teachers’ lounges, gyms, etc.

2. Add SADS Risk Assessment questions to the school’s physical screening forms.

3. Arrange CPR training with school nurses, teachers, and coaches.

4. Give presentations to parents, PTA, state (or district) School Nurses’ Association, local sport leagues and others. Contact SADS for information and materials.

5. Write articles in school newspapers, PTA newsletters and other local publications.