Effect of Allergies on School Age Capstone Project Example

The Effect of Allergies on School Age Performance

Abstract

Allergies are a common occurrence in school age children. Therefore, it is necessary to understand their impact on academic performance in the school setting. A survey instrument was developed to enable faculty and parents to provide insight regarding allergies and their influence on academic performance in school age children.  The survey sought to recognize how children are affected by allergies, including their level of focus and concentration on their studies. Effect of Allergies on School Age It was determined that allergies have an impact on student performance, particularly in the form of concentration and focus. However, additional studies are required in order to ensure that students receive the tools that are necessary to support their academic performance and growth on a continuous basis to facilitate positive outcomes.

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Problem

Introduction

The topic evaluated is entitled “The effects of allergies on school age children’s performance.” This topic served as the key subject area for the capstone project and was explored in greater detail in order to emphasize the importance of different theoretical perspectives and strategies that are utilized in school settings in regards to children with allergies. Additionally, this topic was considered more closely in order to satisfy the requirements of the comprehensive capstone project.

Problem Statement

This topic is emerging because it is relevant in many children who face problems with allergies as they impact their quality of life and their ability to perform well in school. These elements are critical because they provide a greater understanding of allergies from the scientific and clinical points of view, and also support an examination of the psychological and behavioral aspects of this issue. Children who have been diagnosed with allergies face an uphill battle throughout their lives, particularly when their symptoms are exacerbated. These events may disrupt the normal routine and perhaps interfere with the ability of children to perform some physical activities. In addition, their level of focus and concentration may be disrupted to the extent that it interferes with their school and academic performance. These issues are instrumental in the lives of many children and continue to become increasingly important because allergies are on the rise in this population. For children who have allergies, there may be significant issues to consider in the context of their performance in school, how they interact with other children and their teachers, how they behave, their level of attendance, and other factors. Therefore, it is critical that school age children are evaluated on a more consistent basis when they exhibit allergies so that their parents, teachers, and school nurses are able to recognize symptoms, set a treatment plan into motion, and consider other factors that may influence their quality of life and wellbeing.

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Rationale and Significance of the Study

The topic of allergies and their impact on school performance is highly relevant and timely because the number of children who suffer from allergies continues to grow in response to increased environmental pollutants, allergens, and irritants that plague the air and the environment as a whole. In addition, allergies are on the rise due to the manufacturing of processed foods and the treatment of foods with additives, preservatives, and other chemicals, all of which may pose a threat to children in the form of allergic reactions. These concerns impact how children respond to environmental conditions, foods, medications, and other stimuli that they are exposed to on a regular basis. It is important to address how children physically, emotionally, and psychologically react to allergies that occur throughout their lives and how they are impacted by a variety of symptoms and the treatments that are available to treat allergies on a regular basis.

Perhaps most important to this discussion is the role of allergies and their impact on behavior, attention span, and other factors that influence academic performance in the school setting. Children with allergies often require any number of modifications or accommodations in order to manage them effectively and without serious complications. However, their quality of life may be disrupted and may challenge their ability to perform well in school. Children are required to meet at least the minimum standards set forth by academic experts and curricular activities in order to move forward in their academic careers. However, when allergies become a significant problem that disrupts daily activities, there may be difficult challenges to consider that could impact quality of life and the ability to focus and concentrate in the classroom and on homework assignments. When these circumstances occur, it is likely that a child’s grades will suffer and may set back children from moving forward to higher grades. Therefore, it is critical that an understanding of allergies and their impact on school performance must be considered in order to establish strategies that will enable children who are allergy sufferers to be successful in the classroom and in achieving optimal academic performance.

From an academic perspective, children who have been diagnosed with allergies may find it difficult to focus and concentrate on the tasks at hand, particularly when they are sneezing, have watery eyes, have headaches, have runny noses, or a host of other symptoms that directly interfere with their physical wellbeing. If their allergy symptoms are frequent, then it is necessary to develop strategies to promote improved concentration and focus in spite of these symptoms. Effect of Allergies on School Age  These efforts are essential to the discovery of new perspectives for teachers and parents so that they might collaborate to develop solutions for children to manage their allergy symptoms and also maintain their academic performance. This process is likely to address the issues that are most relevant to parents of children with allergies and how to best manage their academic needs in a suitable manner. This topic provides a basis for the exploration of allergies as a potentially severe and debilitating condition that not only reduces quality of life for children, but also interferes with their ability to be successful in an academic setting. This process is difficult for many parents to accept and for teachers to manage because they have a classroom full of students with different needs. The attention that must be paid to some children who have allergies is not always available; therefore, accommodations must be made that will address the questions raised by parents and provide a greater understanding of the teacher’s perspective in supporting their students with limited resources. This topic will provide teachers, parents, and clinicians with opportunities to address possible collaborations that will have a positive impact on a child’s academic performance in a positive manner. In addition, it will shed greater light on a topic that is not always considered to be a significant health concern. However, the ever-increasing prevalence of allergies warrants significant attention and understanding of the nature and severity of this health problem. It is expected that additional resources will be required to ensure that children who face allergies are provided with the attention and focus that is necessary to enable them to improve their academic performance. These resources must be provided so that children with allergies are able to sustain a strong quality of life in spite of these complications.

Summary of the Problem

Allergies have become increasingly common and prevalent in children who attend school. These children develop allergies in a number of different forms, such as allergies to foods, pets, molds, air, and other irritants. Children who have been diagnosed with one or more types of allergies are likely to experience symptoms from time to time, some more severe and more frequent than others. Therefore, it is important to determine how children attending school are impacted by allergies and the types of treatments that are available to assist them in alleviating the symptoms to improve their focus in school. However, it is sometimes difficult to alleviate symptoms or to predict when the symptoms might occur, as well as to determine their severity. Parents of children with allergies must identify the nature of the problem, seek medical attention as necessary, and determine how to best treat allergies in order to minimize symptoms and improve quality of life. Furthermore, it is important for children to be provided with a caring and nurturing environment in which they are able to manage their allergies and minimize their symptoms effectively.

For children who suffer from one or more forms of allergies, parents, teachers, and school nurses must work collaboratively so that a treatment plan is well established, is monitored on a continuous basis, and is adjusted as necessary with the support of the family physician in order to ensure that allergy-related symptoms are limited. These factors are essential to the discovery of new strategies and approaches that will be effective in supporting positive outcomes for children who suffer from allergies and who may experience difficulties that could impact their academic performance in a negative manner. Therefore, communication must be continuous and consistent regarding student performance so that if there are any observations that emphasize a decline in grades or achievement, they are managed properly and in a timely manner. The utilization of different approaches must be considered in order to accomplish the desired objectives in supporting a child’s health and wellbeing, as well as his or her academic achievement in the classroom setting.

Background Information

Allergies are a common and challenging condition that impact many children throughout the United States. In 2010, approximately 10% of children had experienced hay fever, which is more common in the white population (American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology, 2014). Furthermore, approximately eight% of all children have a food allergy between the ages of 6-18, and 39% of these children have experienced severe food reactions (American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology [AAAAI], 2014). Of this population, 30% of children are allergic to more than one type of food, and peanuts serve as the most common form of food allergy in children (American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology, 2014). These factors represent a challenge to physicians, parents, and teachers in order to properly diagnose the allergic condition, establish a viable treatment plan, and implement this plan so that it does not significantly interfere with school activities and academic performance.

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In recent years, a number of trends have been observed in children who have been diagnosed with allergies, including an increase in food, skin and respiratory allergies; a lower level of allergies in children of Hispanic descent; and a higher prevalence of allergies in children whose family incomes are well above the poverty level (Centers for Disease Control, 2014). These statistics indicate that there are significant factors to consider with respect to allergies and their prevalence in children and the latter statistic is interesting because it demonstrates that children in higher income households face a significantly greater risk of developing allergies (Centers for Disease Control, 2014). This is particularly alarming because the root of this problem is difficult to identify, particularly since there is a greater likelihood that children from higher income households will have improved access to healthier and natural foods that are not processed and that do not contain harsh chemicals or preservatives (Centers for Disease Control, 2014). It is important to evaluate these statistics further and to consider the challenges that children face as they obtain treatment and support for their allergies from physicians, school nurses, parents, and teachers.

Possible Causes of the Problem

Many children are diagnosed with allergies at a young age, and the causes of these conditions vary from one child to the next. For example, allergies may be caused by air pollutants, foods, animal dander, medicines, dust mites, grass, and other factors (healthychildren.org, 2014). Therefore, it is important to recognize the possible development of these allergies in children and to note that allergies may be difficult to treat in some cases (healthychildren.org, 2014). When there are a number of pollutants in the environment, these may place children at an even greater risk of developing allergies, thereby creating an environment whereby it may be difficult for children to be successful in managing their daily activities without interference (healthychildren.org, 2014). Based upon the challenges that are associated with the development of allergies and the risks associated with allergy-related symptoms, it is possible for children to be affected in many ways, some of which could interfere with their academic progress and achievement. As a result, the cause of nature of allergies must be identified in a clinical capacity so that the appropriate treatment is provided and children are able to resume their normal activities as best as possible. Therefore, in spite of the many causes associated with allergies, a diagnostic and treatment strategy is essential in order to ensure that the desired academic outcomes are met.

Research Questions and Hypotheses

The proposed topic demonstrated allergies can be a contributing factor in weakened academic performance in some children; however, a number of other factors were also considered when addressing the impact of allergies on school performance. The following research question was considered: What are the effects of allergies on children’s performance in the school setting? Furthermore, this research question hypothesized that in some cases, allergies have a potentially significant impact on school performance in the form of declining grades, reduced concentration and focus, and other behavioral concerns.

Furthermore, this topic and the research questions also considered the value of a questionnaire instrument in order to obtain data and information regarding children with allergies and their level of school performance. Parents, teachers, and other school staff members were instrumental in determining the level of impact of allergies on a child’s performance; therefore, the perspectives and insights of these individuals was obtained in order the address the research question in greater detail. It was expected that this information would provide greater insight into allergies in children and the extent of the impact they have on their grades and overall school performance.

Definition of Terms

Allergic rhinitis: characterized by one or more symptoms including, sneezing, itching, nasal congestion, and rhinorrhea (Skoner, 2001).

Allergies: Reactions caused by an overactive immune system that can occur in a variety of organs in the body, resulting in diseases such as asthma, hay fever, and eczema (healthychildren.org, 2014).

Effect of Allergies on School Age Capstone Project Example