Copyright 2005 Childrens Hospital Los Angeles

School is one of the most important activities of childhood.  Obviously, school is where children learn reading, writing, mathematics and many other subjects.  But school is important for many other reasons.  Children learn how to get along and play with others – they learn how to make friends.  They learn how to interact with adults and authority figures like teachers and counselors.  Going to school is an important part of childhood.  Children who cannot go to school feel different than other kids.  They do not feel normal.

Unfortunately, asthma is one of the most common reasons for children to miss school.  Millions of school days are missed each year because of asthma symptoms not being controlled.  Children with asthma should be able to attend school just like children without asthma. 

Every child, including those with asthma, will get sick once in a while.  If the sickness is bad enough, the child may have to miss a few days of school a year.  Common reasons to miss school because of asthma are:

However, sometimes parents keep a child home for reasons that shouldn’t stop a child from going to school.  Some examples are:

> NEXT