HEAD START®

Caring for Children with
Chronic Conditions

Training Guides for the Head Start Learning Community

Table of Contents | Preface | Introduction | Module 1 | Module 2 | Module 3
| Continuing Professional Development | Resources

MODULE 3: Activity 1: - How Does It Feel?

Module 3 | Activity 1 | Activity 2 | Activity 3 | Next Steps

Purpose:

This activity helps participants recognize the concerns of staff, parents, and children and develop strategies to sensitively care for children with asthma.

For this activity you will need:

• Handout V: How Does It Feel?
  
  
• Pens or pencils
  
  
• Flip chart and markers
  
  
• Name tags and pens
  

Step 1:

Review the Background Information on asthma, in particular "Understanding Asthma As A Chronic Condition."

Step 2:

Since asthma is so common, both among children and adults, nearly everyone has had some experience with asthma–either your own illness or that of your own child, another family member, a friend, co-worker, or a child that you care for.

Ask participants:

• What experience have you had with asthma?

Step 3:

As a respiratory illness, many of the symptoms of asthma are similar to those of acute respiratory illnesses such as colds and flu. However, asthma is a chronic respiratory illness.

Ask participants:

• What are some examples of specific Head Start services that demonstrate each driving
  force?
  
  
• How is a chronic respiratory illness, such as asthma, different from an acute respiratory illness, such as a cold?
  
  
• How is the experience different from the standpoint of...
  
  – the child with asthma?
  
  – the parent of the child with asthma?
  
  – the teacher of the child with asthma?

Step 4:

In caring for children with asthma in Head Start, everyone–staff, parents, the child with asthma, other children, and parents–may experience many feelings, fears, and concerns.
Explain that this activity will explore people's feelings about asthma.

Step 5:

Divide participants into groups of four. Distribute name tags and have participants in each group choose one of the following roles:

• Pedro (a child with asthma)
  
  
• Pedro's parent
  
  
• Head Start staff person or parent volunteer
  
  
• Another child in Pedro's class

Tell participants to take a minute to imagine their role.

Step 6:

Distribute Handout V: How Does It Feel? to participants. Ask for a participant to read aloud Pedro's Story.

Step 7:

Instruct participants to discuss the questions on the handouts from the standpoint of their roles. Begin with the first question and allow each person to speak, then proceed through the other questions in a similar manner.

Allow approximately 15 minutes.

Step 8:

Ask participants:

• How can understanding how everyone feels help Head Start staff to care for children with asthma in a more sensitive and effective manner?
  
  
• How can Head Start programs incorporate the opportunity for everyone to express their feelings and have their concerns addressed?
  

Points to Consider:

• Everyone involved in the care of a child with asthma–including the child with asthma, the parent, Head Start staff, and other children and parents–can have significant feelings and concerns that need to be addressed.
  
  
• While everyone has slightly different concerns, some common fears include not knowing enough about the child's condition, not providing adequate care, and that the illness might interfere with the child's activities and friendships.
  
  
• Head Start staff should develop strategies to address everyone's concerns about caring for the child with asthma, including:
  
  – listening to and addressing everyone's feelings;
  
  – getting all of the necessary information;
  
  – working cooperatively with the parents, child, and health provider to develop a health care plan that allows the child to participate as fully as possible in program activities;
  
  – helping the child develop a sense of confidence in parents and teachers to care for him and in his own mastery of the illness; and
  
  – sharing necessary information with others who need to know–after getting the consent of the parents and child.