Sending your child to daycare or school is a big and exciting step. It may also make you a bit nervous. The key to making sure your child is safe and their needs are being met is talking to the teachers and staff at your child’s school. Educating the teachers and staff about what bleeding disorder your child has and how to manage it will help keep your child safe. It also helps the teachers and staff feel more confident too.   

This section of First Step will cover:  

Communicating With Your Child’s School

Tips on Engaging with School Faculty and Staff

Resources to Give School Teachers and Staff

Communicating With Your Child’s School

Open communication with the teachers and staff at your child’s school is important. It allows everyone to be in agreement and understand how to best care for your child daily and in case of emergency.   

Where do you start? Who do you talk to? How do you stay in touch? 

You can start by making sure you understand different staff roles and how to reach them. You can ask school staff the best ways to contact and communicate with staff members.

Key Contact Information to Know 

  • School contact numbers, email address, and website. Some schools may use an app or have a parent/caregiver portal as another channel for communication 
  • Names and contact information for school administration staff, including the school director or principal   
  • Teacher e-mail addresses and telephone numbers, if available 
  • School nurse or school health service staff contact information  
  • Parent teacher association/organization (PTA/O) contact information

Keep in mind your child’s school may have multiple channels of communication. 

A Few Tips Before Reaching Out 

  • It is good to make the connection to key teachers, administrators, and staff before any issues arise. See more in the next section on how to do that specific to your child’s bleeding or blood disorder.  
  • When you want to address a problem or concern, contact the person closest to that concern. For example, if you have an issue with your child’s homework, go directly to the teacher. If the issue is not addressed, try the principal or a school administrator. 
  • Start thinking about questions you would like to ask before a meeting or conference. Consider making a list of questions to bring with you so you don’t forget anything important. 
  • If you need to contact the school about a highly emotional issue or conflict, always allow yourself time to cool off. It may help to write out your concern. Keep in mind, the goal is to resolve the issue with your child’s best interest in mind.

Tips on Engaging with School Faculty and Staff

Now you know how to contact the key people at your child’s school. It is important to know how to engage with them and what information to share, especially when it comes to your child’s blood or bleeding disorder. 

The ‘Who’, ‘What’ and ‘When’ of Engaging and Sharing: 

When changing schools or at the start of a new school year it can be good practice to share information about your child’s bleeding or blood disorder, treatment, and accommodations. Here is some helpful information to share with teachers, staff, and school health services staff: 

  • Schedule a meeting with relevant school staff. Explain the basics of your child’s bleeding or blood disorder. You may share common sites of bleeding, signs or symptoms of a bleed, and medicine taken. You may discuss what to do if there is a bleed, when to call a health care provider, or when to go to the emergency room. 
  • Mention that one symptom is easy bruising. If your child bruises easily, explain why, and where you commonly see those bruises. This will help address any concerns school staff may have about bruising as a sign of potential child abuse.  
  • Give the school a detailed list of who to contact in the event of an emergency. 
  • Explain when and how to contact you if your child has a bleed at school. Inform school staff that you will tell them if your child needs to avoid or modify a physical activity.  
  • Talk about  being safe when physically active and proper protective equipment. Explain the importance of exercise for strong and healthy joints. 
  • Talk to the school about storing your child’s bleeding disorder medication and equipment, if needed. 
  • Educate school staff on any medications NOT to give to your child and why.   
  • Talk with the teacher about your child’s wishes for telling others about their bleeding or blood disorder. If your child wishes to disclose themselves, ask that the teacher not make a general announcement. Support your child to decide when and how to tell others.  

Continuing to Engage:

Engaging with your child’s school is an ongoing process. There will be times throughout the year when you will want to talk with school staff. These times may include going on a field trip, missing school due to their disorder, needing a new or revised accommodation, or checking in about progress.  

Here are some additional tips to keep in mind:  

  • Be proactive. Keep in touch with your child’s teacher. Attend parent/caregiver-teacher conferences. Read your child’s school newsletters. Message your child’s teacher if you have questions or concerns. 
  • Visit your child’s classes. Ask questions. Don’t hesitate to have your child’s teacher provide a clearer explanation of anything you don’t understand. 
  • Let your child’s teacher know if you have any specific concerns about your child’s educational progress. 
  • Maintaining communication with your child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) team will ensure that your child’s academic and social needs are being met. 

For more information on preparing for field trips and extracurricular activities go here.

For more information on transitioning to a new school go here.

For more information on accommodations go here. 

Resources to Give School Teachers and Staff

In addition to speaking directly with your child’s school, it is also helpful to provide resources to teachers and staff. These resources can help staff understand your child’s bleeding or blood disorder and how to care for them when they are at school. Here are some helpful handouts and videos to pass along to your child’s school: 

If you want more information on Explaining Your Child's Bleeding Disorder to Others, please click on the image below: