I recently started working as a social work intern in a local primary and secondary school. It seems like CD and GF lifestyles will be difficult in such a setting, not only for myself but definitely for any children with such issues or even food allergies/sensitivities what so ever. This has brought up many thoughts on having Celiac Disease or Food Allergies/intolerances and the having to deal with the school system:

First off for myself:

Courtesy of Siptemberfest.com

I no longer have an issue lugging a full bag of food around with me to work, school or what ever. In fact, it’s much healthier and cheaper at this point. The main issue is just that it is SO TIME CONSUMING. I mostly cook in bulk now and have to be cautious to make foods that will stay fresh regardless of a lack of refrigeration. It’s all an experiment and cooking really has become a fun activity and even a good relaxation technique, so much difference in such a short period of time! Infact, Smelling gluten products at this point disgusts me!

The only other issue I have is constantly having to explain myself, as I have had to do over the past few days when I’ve declined meals provided for us and ate my own food. For some odd reason people automatically assume that I am VEGAN, not that I have a dietary restriction. I am grateful that I amI still haven’t found the best means of explaining myself to individuals so I stick with the simple “I can’t eat wheat, rye or barley” explanation and if they press for more information I’ll give it to them as needed and I feel desirable for the position.

A good thing behind this is that I actually seem to be bringing awareness to the subject of Celiac Disease or GF. So many people have responded to my explanation with almost a light bulb over there head and explanations such as “oh so THAT’s why my Aunt/friend/Student X eats what they do and is such a picky eater. It really is important to share your story even if to enlighten someone and even if you are young, which gets us into…


Difficulties for the School Children Themselves:
I accompanied one kid down to the cafeteria to see what the nutritious options were and was floored by the overwhelmingly generic and carbohydrate/gluten packed selection. On this particular day the options were:
1. Whole wheat pizza
2. Grilled ham and cheese sandwich
3. Cream cheese on a bagle

I’m not sure if I am recalling correctly but I remember more HEALTHY options with less gluten involved as a kid…NO Wonder our children are fatter and sicker…Maybe I missed the options for the kids with restrictive diets but I doubt it, There really needs to be more options for children and ones that don’t make them feel alienated by needed to specifically request it. This would probably relieve some stress on parents having to constantly pack lunches and I am sure that not all children who can eat gluten would want to eat that everyday!

Anyway, so far I’ve met several kids with food intolerances, allergies etc. You would assume that they would stay on a strict diet but some of them STILL eat the things that make them sick. I’ve only met them once but I would assume this is a result of:
1. Unaware Doctors and School personnel who allow the children to continue eating those items.
2. Overstressed parents who are not able to make, pack or afford lunches that cater to their child’s need or are just unaware of the consequences of still eating those items.

I think that patients at any age, at least those who are cognitively aware, should know what they need to know about their ‘condition’ to stay healthy even if that means the kid needs to tell their parents they don’t want to eat the items that make them sick or need to help their parent’s out in shopping or cooking, it could be a fun bonding experience. There is one girl I met who is incredibly bright and has Oral Allergy Syndrome who stated that she ‘eats apples because they don’t make her feel that horrible but she doesn’t eat celery because it makes her feel like she can’t breath’. It’s definitely a first step but kids need to be fully educated on what they need to do when they have CD, food allergies or intolerances.

Beyond that however we need to make the parents INCREDIBLY aware of what is needed/cannot be eaten.  We should link them to such things as Raising Our Celiac Kids etc for support and resources. It cannot stop there, we must also alert the school staff. There is much debate about how to do this. One of the options that has been mulled over is required reporting of the school of Food intolerances, allergies and related diseases to schools… this seems like an OBVIOUS TO ME, Don’t you think?

For Celiac Disease specifically it’s been  suggested that a 504 Plan, usually written for children with emotional/behavioural issues or disorders, be written for children outlining their specific dietary needs. Since Celiac Disease does fall under the defintion of  Physical Disability as far as the Department of Education this does make sense.  However, as with implementing any 504 Plan consideration must be taken when thinking about implementing one as they will follow the student throughout their school years. Is this something that should be taken care of  by the school or is it something the parent and child can deal with on a case by case basis? Which is better in such a situation?  What do the parent and the child think is a better course of action. I am not quite sure myself how I feel about this 504 plan option or if it’s considered for other food issues but it’s a good way for all involved with the student to be aware. I’m sure I’ll touch base on this in the future again once I get a better idea of my opinions, for now here is some further information.

Does anyone have any knowledge in this area or any comments? I would love to have more information on the topic so I can educate myself further! I am always open to that so leave me comments etc!

In conclusion, I would love to start a support group for children with Celiac Disease or other Food Allergies/intolerances, one that teaches them how to be empowered, not embarrassed by their differences, how to make healthy choices and to have an active role in their intake of food and life in general. There doesn’t seem to be support groups specifically for children. There are SO Many resources out there, Livestrong’s gluten free cooking for kids page is a brief but limited example that has other resources and there are also books such as Eating Gluten-Free with Emily (image to the left) but none that are readily shared with anyone! There are so many prospects!

We could have an entire generation of people to spread awareness and be self-empowered and aware if we start earlier! I’m all for it but I’m still so limited in knowledge, Think it’s too soon?