CTY Summer Programs Allergy Management

Each summer at CTY, many students who have severe allergies  attend summer programs. To better serve these students and their families, CTY has developed protocols to aid staff and students in managing these allergies.

•     Download CTY's Allergy Action Plan
•     Food Allergy Management Practices at CTY Summer Programs Sites
•     Requesting Accommodations/Supports for Food Allergies
•     CTY Lancaster "Peanut Allergy Sensitive" Site
•     Food Allergy Web Resources

CTY's Allergy Action Plan

Please complete CTY's Allergy Action Plan if your child has been prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector for possible anaphylaxis. If your child has multiple alleries that require different treatment information, please complete a separate Allergy Action Plan for each allergen for which an epinephrine auto-injector has been prescribed.

• CTY's Allergy Action Plan (print version)(.pdf)
• CTY's Allergy Action Plan (fillable electronic version) (.pdf)

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Food Allergy Management Practices at CTY Summer Programs Sites

Please review the Food Allergy Management: Information for Parents and Students (.pdf) document for further details on CTY's protocols and find highlights following.

You can expect all of the following to be the case at all CTY sites barring any unusual circumstances. Please be aware though that  these items may operate a little differently from site to site. For example, some sites have dining hall staff that are far more accessible than others (and even this can vary from year to year at the same site). If you have any questions or concerns about these items, please do not hesitate to contact CTY Disability Services or a site's program manager or assistant program manager.

• Have dining hall staff/managers available on opening day (and ready) to answer your questions about food preparation and ingredients. CTY staff is typically  involved in these conversations at some point so we are in the loop about what is being communicated, can assist students in navigating the cafeteria, and can also be more aware about what the site is able to do for individual students with dietary restrictions.
• Have dining hall staff available and easily identifiable/approachable during meal times so students and/or CTY staff are able to ask about ingredients of foods without labels.
• Allow and encourage students to carry an epineprhine auto-injector at all times.
• Train all staff on use of an epinephrine auto-injector.
• Ensure staff are aware of and have a chance to ask questions about a students’ Allergy Action Plan.

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Requesting Accommodations/Supports for Food Allergies

If a student requires more than the items listed in the previous section, the student may choose to request accommodations and/or supports to remain safe and to receive assistance in managing his or her allergies during the program in order to be able to fully participate.

To request additional accommodations/support, contact must be made with CTY Disability Services. CTY Disability Services can be contacted at 410-735-6215 or at cty-disabilities@jhu.edu. You will be asked to complete a Request for Accommodations form. Documentation will also be requested to support any accommodations. Review our Documentation Guidelines for Medical Dietary Issues page for further information.

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CTY Lancaster (Grades 7 and above) "Peanut Allergy Sensitive" Site

The Lancaster, Pennsylvania (7-10^th grade) site is labeled as "peanut allergy sensitive" which means:

• No peanut products are served in the dining hall.
• All staff and students are requested to not bring nuts or nut products to the site.
• CTY staff members monitor student purchases at the bookstore and local market for any peanut products.
• CTY staff members explain the importance of not having nut products during students’ first hall meeting and take any nut products students turn over to them at this meeting.

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Food Allergy Web Resources

• The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network
• The Food Allergy Initiative
• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
• American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology
• OneSpot Allergy 
• Allergy Apparel

Links and resources are listed for informational purposes and convenience. No direct or implied endorsement by the Center for Talented Youth should be construed.

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