School has started again, and this is a time of year when I often hear from parents who say something like:
“My child was doing so well over the summer, and suddenly things have changed.”
Maybe you’re noticing more tics. Sleep has become disrupted. Your child seems more irritable, anxious, hyperactive, unfocused, or dysregulated. Perhaps digestive issues have returned, or behaviors you thought had improved are suddenly showing up again.
When this happens, I encourage parents to ask a very important question:
What changed?
Going back to school can change a lot more in your child’s environment than we sometimes realize.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that one particular thing at school is responsible. But looking at what has changed can give you important clues.
1. A New Environment Means New Exposures
When children return to school, they suddenly spend many hours each day in a different building surrounded by many more people.
That can mean increased exposure to circulating viruses and bacteria. It can also mean exposure to different cleaning products, fragrances, dust, indoor air pollutants, and other environmental factors.
For a child who is particularly sensitive, the cumulative load may be worth considering when you notice a significant change after returning to school.
And there is another environmental factor I especially want parents to be aware of:
Water damage and mold.
2. Could There Be Water Damage or Mold in the Classroom?
Mold isn’t always obvious.
You don’t necessarily walk into a classroom and see black mold growing on a wall. There may have been a roof leak, plumbing problem, flooding, or previous water damage inside a wall, ceiling, carpet, or other building material.
If your child seems to experience a noticeable change after returning to school—particularly if symptoms improve when your child is away from that environment—it’s reasonable to investigate the building environment as one possible piece of the puzzle.
Ask the school:
Has this classroom or this area of the school ever had water damage or a leak?...
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