Most children who get asthma have their first symptoms by age five. At this age, management of your child’s asthma falls to you as their caregiver, and to their healthcare provider, and other adults in their life. But as your child grows older, the responsibility for asthma care should be transferred from the caregiver to the child.
The key aspects of empowering your child with asthma are to enable shared decision-making and self-management and help the child minimize the impact of asthma on their life.13 Caregivers and children may adopt a variety of strategies that result in both planned and unplanned outcomes.
The transfer of asthma management responsibility from caregiver to child can be a slow process and should be viewed within the broader context of your child gaining independence in other areas of their life. Depending on their development, your child may begin to learn skills to self-manage their asthma as early as seven years old, with growing independence thereafter. The process is influenced by your child’s social, developmental, and emotional stage; by the caregiver’s willingness to share caregiving responsibilities; the support of your child’s healthcare provider; and, at times, their school.
Asthma self-management may be defined as your child’s ability to manage the symptoms, treatment, physical and psychological consequences, and lifestyle changes that are fundamental to living with asthma.
Getting Started
To assume responsibility for their asthma management, your child will need to:
- Have both factual and experiential knowledge (e.g., learning how to correctly use their inhaler and spacer).
- Develop skills such as learning how to talk with their healthcare provider.
- Adopt useful strategies, such as creating a schedule or setting an alarm to remind them to take their medications.14
As noted above, the process should begin as a partnership between you and your child, their healthcare provider, and, at the appropriate age, their daycare or school. It should end with an independent, healthy functioning adult.
Educating Your Child About Asthma
In addition to talking to your child about asthma (as discussed earlier in this handbook), their healthcare provider should talk to them directly as they get older. You should also encourage your child to ask questions during their provider visits.
Some schools offer asthma management education to their students with asthma. For example, Respiratory Health Association offers in-person, multi-session programs designed for children to increase their knowledge and asthma management skills. Importantly, it is also intended to increase your child’s confidence in their ability to manage their condition. Although this program is primarily available to schools in Illinois, a virtual program has been developed that can be used by schools nationwide, and by parents to use with their child. Information on how to access these resources is included in the Appendices.
Developing asthma self-management skills is a part of growing up. Be aware that during their teenage years, young people can find it challenging to follow treatment plans, which can result in worse symptoms and poor outcomes. Recognize that some children may find it difficult to manage their asthma within a busy and structured school environment, in particular dealing with competing demands such as schoolwork, sports, and socializing with their friends. Talking openly about asthma and how it affects the child, both positively and negatively, is important to help them move through this period.
13Sinha IP, Brown L, Fulton O, Gait L, Grime C, Hepworth C, Lilley A, Murray M, Simba J. Empowering children and young people who have asthma. Arch Dis Child. 2021 Feb;106(2):125-129. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2020-318788. Epub 2020 Jul 24. PMID: 32709687.