Working to get better care for your child should not be a solitary effort. A strong partnership that includes you, the school staff, other families, physicians and other health care providers, and even students is needed to help young people with asthma.

Consider working with other parents to develop a resource library for all school staff and students for obtaining additional information about asthma through pamphlets, brochures, and other publications. Many local and national organizations offer educational materials for this purpose.

A good partnership can improve communication among all parties. In turn, it will help to promote improved attendance, alertness, physical stamina, and educational outcomes for your child — and other children — with asthma.

School policies that are supportive of partnerships have a number of points in common. First, they encourage families to participate in managing their children's asthma at school. They also provide opportunities for families to participate in decision-making regarding school policies and procedures impacting their children.