ERIC Number: EJ1185733
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Sep
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1082-3301
EISSN: N/A
Experiences and Support Needs of Mothers of Children with Food Allergy during the Transition to School
Sanagavarapu, Prathyusha
Early Childhood Education Journal, v46 n5 p523-534 Sep 2018
Despite the increasing attendance of children with food allergy in schools in Australia and globally, little is known about how affected families manage their children's transition to school. This paper discusses the experiences and support needs of ten mothers during their child's transition to school in Sydney, Australia, drawn from the thematic analysis of Photo Elicitation Interviews in homes. One of the significant findings of this study was that most mothers found their child's transition to school both emotionally and practically challenging, even though their children previously attended a long day care or preschool setting. While the school's pro-active transitional planning, procedures of food allergy management and psychological support provided to families facilitated a smooth start to school, a lack of these, together with poor or no communication and non-involvement of families in the management of children's food allergy hindered it. Correspondingly, mothers highlighted the need for schools to keep children's food allergy at the forefront of their transitional planning and support them holistically by pro-actively communicating, collaborating and involving families in the discussions about food allergy, empowering them with information on the school's policies and procedures, and acknowledging their concerns of safety. Mothers considered these things to be essential. Additionally, mothers provided advice to other parents on how to achieve a positive start to school. The implications of this study's findings for schools and families are discussed. Considering the small sample size and generalisability of the findings to other contexts and countries, further research is recommended both nationally and internationally.
Descriptors: Mothers, Special Needs Students, Food Standards, School Readiness, Interviews, Transitional Programs, Allergy, Eating Disorders, Emotional Experience, Educational Practices, Psychological Services, Preschool Children, Early Childhood Education, Psychological Needs, Interpersonal Communication, Family Involvement, Parent Attitudes, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A