I will go on record saying that it this particular disability DOES affect my gifted child's education. It is a real disability, just as ADHD and some of the other "hidden" disabilities. It is recognized as such by the federal government, and children with food allergies can get 504 plans in order to provide necessary accommodations.
It is difficult to concentrate on learning if students are teasing you with food containing your allergen, or your teacher constantly "forgets" to tell you that you can get your special treat while the rest of the class has cupcakes. If you are a gifted kid with food allergies, it is ONE more thing that makes you different. Not being included is tough on little kids, and being "different" in multiple ways is even harder.
It is also difficult to concentrate on learning after experiencing an anaphylactic reaction, once you realize that you could actually DIE from it. Especially if you must spend your days in the cafeteria with peers eating PB&J sandwiches and food being consumed constantly in your classroom around you.
Last year my son's Kindergarten teacher was NOT good with handling his allergies, telling people to follow the peanut-free classroom rule, or remembering to get his "special" treat from her in-class freezer. He often had to eat pretzels while everyone else had cupcakes. This went on for months, because although it upset him, he didn't want to complain about it and didn't mention it to me. This situation, combined with a complete lack of challenge, made K a very, very bad place for him and it truly affected him and made him extremely anxious. It was very apparent to my gifted 5 year old that his teacher didn't care if he learned anything, or if he was included.
His first grade teacher this year was awesome at handling food allergies, and tried her best to differentiate for him. She showed us that school could be better, and made me realize that what I need to do was to get his accommodations in writing so that they would continue. I learned a lot this year and finally got an official 504 plan for him.
For those of you without children with food allergies, try to imagine if you (as an adult or a child) either had to take your own food to a party, (because you couldn't safely eat at buffets or eat food that was unlabeled) or choose not to eat while you were there. Imagine a world where as a child your mother had to tell you to NEVER EVER eat anything unless she told you it was okay or you could read the label yourself (even if it looked familiar), or unless your teacher told you she had communicated with your mom and it was okay.
Imagine a world in which you do everything you are supposed to do to keep your food "safe," and it still causes anaphylaxis because it was cross-contaminated and no one knew.
Just for a moment, imagine that eating something as simple as cut-up apple slices or a chicken finger at a restaurant could kill you, and you might be able to see the kind of anxiety children with food allergies live with every moment of their lives. Some people will say "just don't go to restaurants" but we are trying to provide a "normal" life for our son, so that isn't really an option. He doesn't buy food from the cafeteria in school, doesn't eat most baked goods, has his own "safe" food, and sits at the "nut free" table, but still has contact reactions at school on occasion.
The sad fact is, however, that food is always on his mind, and the continuous presence of food in the classroom detracts from his ability to learn. I am not advocating taking food out of the classroom, but it does detract from my child's ability to learn. And having to advocate for him regarding his Auvi-Q and his food allergies makes me "THAT MOM" even before I dare to mention the need for differentiation due to his being gifted.
We didn't do anything to cause his food allergies, and I would do ANYTHING to make them go away. They just happened, and no one knows why. What I would like all parents to know is this: It could have happened to your kid, but it happened to mine. Allergies don't define him, they are just a condition he has. However, as an extremely gifted child, they are just something else that sets him apart from the more "typical" kids.
