Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Food allergy case

Yes. This. This begins in KINDERGARTEN (or earlier), and they are expected to be happy and smile and say that it doesn't matter (even if it does.)

Teachers try to tell me my son is immature because he won't accept food from them unless they have spoken to me. But he knows in the past he has been given "unsafe" food by people who should have known better, so really, it's not immature. His LIFE is at stake, and he knows it - that's not immaturity.

Most reputable allergists won't diagnose an initial food allergy without a reaction from eating the food.


Not sure that one is true, actually-- the gold standard these days is to not even TEST for something without a good reason (reaction history and suspicion).

BUT, there are still a LOT of allergists out there using skin prick testing and RAST numbers to "diagnose" allergies with no clinical history at all-- and the bad part of that is that the former has about 50% false positives, and the latter isn't much better than that. On the flip side, negative testing is much more likely to be accurate-- about 95% accurate in skin tests, and-- well, it's hard to say with RAST values, but it's at least 75%.

Protein component testing is pretty promising here, actually-- for example, with peanut, there are 8+ seed storage proteins that come up when you run ELISA's (blood tests) for IgE, but only a couple of them are associated with anaphylaxis potential. So someone who skin tests positive for peanuts but has no clinical history, or one suggesting that this might be something more like pollen-allergy-syndrome, that person could now be component tested to see whether Ara h2 lights up or not (that's one of the bad ones).

For more info about that:

https://www.uknowpeanut.com/

So it's been known for a long time that about 35-40% of people with peanut allergy have the ability/propensity to anaphylax, but it's only in the past 3-5y that researchers have had ANY idea how to tell who is who there (barring the obvious, of course). It also seems fairly likely that those with some kinds of IgE are less likely to "outgrow" allergies.

Again, this isn't really news, as prominent clinicians in the field have known for a long time, for example, that children who tolerate baked egg or milk (heat denatured) tend to be "outgrowers" and those who don't tend to never outgrow, or to do so quite late.

So again, one of two types of IgE there-- the kind that seems to be sequence-specific, perhaps, or the sort that depends upon native tertiary protein structure.

In short, Ultramarina is ABSOLUTELY correct to state that this is a total quagmire diagnostically. There are far too few GOOD pediatric food allergy specialists out there, and at the other end of the extremes; far, far, FAR too many quacks waving energy wands over people...

Please see my post above this one. I agree with you, by the way. I was diagnosed with a shellfish allergy as an adult (though I probably developed that allergy when I was about 8-9yo, in light of my history). No testing needed, as history is pretty conclusive, and yes, I have anaphylaxed pretty convincingly. I carry epinephrine and avoid.



There are better diagnostic tools, and a better practice parameter exists now, as well.

http://www.aaaai.org/practice-resou...arameters-and-other-guidelines-page.aspx

Number one rule there is probably: IgG has nothing to do with food allergies.

{sigh}

A great source to explore some of these issues is at AAAAI's "ask the expert" archives (our allergist is one of their experts-- it's kinda fun to guess which allergist is answering, actually):

http://www.aaaai.org/ask-the-expert.aspx

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.

This is the bit of things where there is probably a UNIQUE issue that exists primarily for HG/HG+ children-- they realize this when they are FAR too young to emotionally process how someone who seems "nice" or "loves me" could also pose a grave risk to them in a moment of thoughtlessness, or actually TRY to "prove" something by deliberately exposing them.

Mostly, it's just self-centered behavior that is incredibly hurtful-- leaving the child thinking "Wow.... and YOU are the "grown up" one here??"

It is terrifying for a child like that to be left in the care of an adult that they KNOW is a danger to them, or deep down doesn't believe/care. NT children with food allergies tend to be happily oblivious to this until they are better able to process that set of salient facts, but HG+ ones know-- they know WAY before they should. My personal estimate, based on my DD, is that most of them figure some of that out by the time they are four or five. Younger in some cases.

It turns them into empaths or human satellite dishes, honestly-- they learn to read people like they are space aliens with special powers. They can TELL when someone is just blowing them off. They also learn to tell when someone CANNOT get it, versus just "will not" or "maybe could." Interestingly, DD doesn't seem to resent that some people she knows and loves dearly are in the "just can't go there" group with her allergies. She just accepts that she has to be on high-alert around them, because they are simply oblivious to things like touching her food (rendering it unsafe for her), etc. She simply doesn't hold it against them.


Interestingly, something that I've noted about my DD and I that most people seem to lack-- is an ability to separate my rational side from the emotional one when it comes to individual people in my life. I may LOVE a friend dearly, but know that I shouldn't rely upon him for money, for example. I might be able to dislike someone intensely on a personal level and still be completely professionally cordial and productive with that person. The reason that I think it is connected is that I, too, had to learn very young (and process very young, thanks to a high cognitive ability) that people who LOVE us may not always be GOOD to us or for us, and may in fact be quite dangerous, even if we love them in return... and that the two things have nothing to do with one another. I have speculated that growing up in emotionally challenging circumstances may lead to this kind of phenomenon. It's a certain pathos-driven acceptance of others-- but it's tempered by pragmatism.

Why are people eating cupcakes in the classroom? Cupcakes! How about an education instead of junk food. As a non-American, and now a homeschooler in America, I really don't really know what goes on in the American classroom, but some of the things I read are just weird. As a kid I don't remember eating in the classroom at all.

In my son's PS last year, they had a million cupcakes (it seems like that to me), chocolate chip cookies, Disney movies (teacher had a Netflix account for the classroom, I kid you not), the first day welcome package from teacher containing candy, valentine's candy, halloween candy, rice krispies, marshmallows, oreos, candy cane, gingerbread houses (I am sure I missed half the fun stuff). I know all this because my DS does not eat sugary stuff - he just shoves it all in his backpack and brings it home. And the people with allergies got juice boxes, I was told
I made a racket about it once and they allowed me to bring in bagged apple slices - and then, back to the cupcakes.
We are no longer with that school.

ETA: How did I forget the Pizza parties and the "Celebrate Fall with Donuts" party and the "Welcome Summer with Popsicles" party???

A friends kid was told by a teacher that something was ok to eat the other day. Turned out it was made with almond meal and she has a tree nut allergy. Her reactions have been getting more severe with each exposure and that caused he first anaphalaxis. It has been decided in future she will only eat food made by her mother and her best friends mum but I can't help wondering whether next time contact will be enough. The parent who bought the food probably didn't even know there was such a thing as almond flour. It was labelled gluten free and she probably had some vague concept that it was for people with allergies.

There are people who claim allergies they don't have but it is more ignorance. Lactose intolerant people may be able to manage some but someone with a milk allergy can't, celeic are more affected that someone with a gluten intolerance, some peopleget headaches from nuts and say they are allergic but some people die. It is also easier for a child to say they are allergic to something than that it gives them explosive bowel motions. And I know a few complete idiots - I know a woman who claims she is so sensitive to caffiene she can't have 1/8 of a teaspoon in a cake but drinks coke. The fact there are morons doesn't make your concerns less important though and certainly doesn't justify putting a child's life at risk.

Buying that junk food is expensive, and sorting it into individual portions with decorations is time-consuming. I'm just imagining how what was probably a few thousand dollars siphoned into "food" could have instead been spent on books for the classroom, a computer or two, or equipment for funky labs. Imagine if instead of being head of the party planning committee, the teacher built in fascinating enrichment opportunities and paid some extra one-on-one attention to the children. Not eating also doesn't mean the teacher doesn't have to be celebratory.

I always remember thinking as a child that when the cupcakes came out on a birthday, the rest of the day would be a waste of my time. I wonder how many other GT students felt the same way.

Here teachers have nothing to do with it. It's parent-driven.

There is a general agreement that there should be less snacking in school, and more healthy food. But there is also an unwillingness to scale down the birthday thing-- like an arms race, nobody wants their kid to have less or feel bad. 25 birthdays out of 180 school days is a lot. Some of these parents are also totally unaware of food allergies (as we all know), so the brownies with the nuts may well come right into the classroom.

For my kid's birthday, I send in a book for the classroom library (wrapped fancy) and let my kid present it for reading aloud. For some reason this model hasn't taken off.

Wow, my kids wish they lived in a school district like Ashley's district. They have done a complete 180 on the class parties (both in public and private schools my youngest had attended). Cupcakes, candy and anything remotely resembling a treat is banned. Sorry, but parties aren't all that fun with raw veggies and fruits.

And I am surprised that teachers aren't more careful about foods. While it isn't fair to put the burden to determine "safe foods" on the kid, I have found that bright kids are pretty good figuring that out on their own. DD16 switched schools when she was 4 and met a kid who was seemingly allergic to everything. I was scared to offer this kid anything but a glass of water. But this kid (likely HG) knew what she could and could not eat by age 4. And if she had any question in her mind if the food was safe, the teacher would bring out a "safe snack" (she kept a supply of these in her desk).

In DD9's elementary school, whenever they have an event where you bring in food, every ingredient must be listed on a card attached to the dish. I see schools around here being really careful - maybe because there are so many attorney parents.

As for pediatricians, let me know if you find one that is even of average IQ. I typically diagnose my kids (and myself) and go straight to the specialist. I would never trust a pediatrician to advise me on allergies (or anything else). We have met some wonderful specialists, and I'm sure there are some great pediatricians out there, but I haven't found them. DH thinks I'm nuts but the kids in my HS who became doctors were middling students at best - not kids that anyone ever referred to as "bright".

And aquinas, I'm sorry that the cupcakes messed up your day, but I know that cupcakes really make the day for my GT kids. I know that my kids can go overboard on the junk. Maybe it is just the competitive nature of DD18, but last year she got into a Froyo eating contest with others at a local yogurt shop. 44 ounces later she had her picture on the wall of the shop. And no, she isn't tubby, but she is the heaviest of my kids at 5'4", 105.