The school nurse develops an Individual Health Plan (IHP). Medication is kept in the nurse’s office, and the nurse dispenses any medication. Health care needs and concerns related to school are coordinated by the school nurse. Pertinent information is communicated with teachers and staff.
The nurse may be called when a student has had an injury. The FASD student has a high threshold for pain. He may be seriously injured and may not realize it. The nurse should make certain that a yearly hearing screening is given. Ear infections are quite common, and the FASD student may not feel the discomfort indicating an ear infection. Ear infections can interfere with hearing, and the FASD student may be unaware that they are missing information presented orally. Vision screening should also occur annually. FASD students who are having tracking difficulty or difficulty seeing may not be aware of these problems. This may impact their performance in all academic subjects, especially in reading.
If there are significant health issues, the school nurse may be asked to be a member of the IEP team.