According to your child’s School Health Enrollment or Update form he/she has food allergies or a special health condition which may require special dietary accommodations. If so, please read the information below, have your child’s physician complete the attached form and return it to the food services staff at your child’s school. Staff who have a need to know have been informed of your child’s food allergy to help your child avoid these foods in the classroom and nutrition services staff have been informed, however the school will also need a physician’s order for special dietary accommodations.

School Nutrition Services Responsibilities: The School Nutrition Services staff is responsible for making food substitutions or modifications for students with disabilities for normally scheduled meal services. The substitutions or modifications for children with disabilities must be based on a prescription written by a licensed physician. A physician must also provide written notices of changes or deletions to diet orders. School nutrition services staff shall not revise or change a diet prescription or medical order without a revised order from the physician. School Nutrition Services is not required to provide substitutions or modifications for children who do not meet the criteria for “disabilities with medically certified special dietary needs”. School Nutrition Services is available to work with the school administration, Health Services, and the family of the affected child to provide adequate and continuous care and to provide for the safety of the child.

Physician’s Statement for Children with Disabilities: The physician’s statement must identify the following: the child’s disability; an explanation of why the disability restricts the child's diet; the major life activity affected by the disability; the food or foods to be omitted from the child's diet, and the food or choice of foods that must be substituted. Attached is a form provided to request dietary substitutions or modifications. A physician signature is required.

Definitions: The term child with a “disability” means any person who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, has record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act’s (IDEA’s) thirteen disability categories (page 4 of Accommodating Children with Special Dietary Needs in the School Nutrition Programs, Guidance for School Food Service Staff handbook: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Guidance/special_dietary_needs.pdf). “Physical or mental impairment” includes many diseases and conditions, a few of which may be found on page 3 of the handbook: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Guidance/special_dietary_needs.pdf. “Major life activities” means functions such as caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working.

For more information, please contact the Child Nutrition Department’s at
469-713-5207.