Share Stories

Children share brief asthma stories (15 min)

Before we find out more about you, we need to make some RAP club house rules. What would be good rules to have for our RAP sessions?

Encourage the children to come up with rules to follow. Write them on the board or on paper an post on the wall. They are more likely to follow the rules if they have created them. (see educational tools for sample) The rules may include:

1. One person talks at a time.
2. Listen when others are talking.
3. No name calling or making fun of people.
4. No fighting.

Puff and I would like it if each of you would tells us a little bit about yourself, like your name, something you like to do, and how you take care of your asthma.

Go around the group, allowing each child time to introduce himself/herself. Use prompts or questions to help a child who is shy or nervous.

Tie in similarities between children and experiences. Make notes of important points or experiences to draw upon for examples throughout the RAP program.

Thank the children for their stories.

 Assessing children learning needs (15 min.)

There are a number of ways that you can assess learning needs. We have highlighted various options (see assessment tools) or you may have your own institutional/organizational assessment tools. The goal is to assess the learning needs of the children, which is different from doing an asthma history. Assessing learning needs may include a number of factors that influence the child’s ability to acquire knowledge and make self-management changes, such as:

• general understanding of coping skills
• management approaches
• ommunication practices
• attitudes and feelings
• family dynamics
• past education
• physical activities
• fears and concerns

If time is limited, you may wish to add a welcome and assessment time prior to starting. Your ability to assess the learning needs of children will improve with experience.

Children develop their asthma wish list (10 min.)

How many of you make wishes before you blow out your candles on your birthday cake? Puff has lots of wishes. He wishes that he could play soccer. Have you ever wished you could play a sport?

Have children describe the sports they would like to play.

Puff wished that he did not wake up at night coughing. Have you ever wished you did not have asthma problems?

Have children describe the asthma problems they would like to be rid of.

Have you ever made a wish and it came true?

Give the children a moment to reflect.

Let's make asthma wishes. Asthma wishes are things about your asthma that you want to change, like how Puff wanted to sleep through the night and play soccer. In your RAP Fun Book, check the wishes you would choose. You can add more wishes if you like.

Hand out RAP Fun Book. Allow the children five minutes to record their wishes. Read the wish list out loud if necessary for those who are unable to read for themselves. Make a note of the wishes they selected.

During the next session, we be going on an adventure to discover what treasures will make our asthma wishes come true.

If appropriate, demonstrate use of peak flow meter (10 min.)

Has anyone’s doctor told them to use a peak flow meter?

Let each child respond.

If any have been asked to use a peak flow meter, enlist their help to have Puff demonstrate or have one of the children demonstrate using Puff. (See the RAP Fun book for the steps.)

If children have their peak flow meters with them, observe each child's peak flow technique. Alternatives:

• Younger group, show the video "I'm a Meter Reader" (10 min)
• Ask Puff to show his classmates how to use a peak flow meter. How should Puff describe why, how and when he uses it?

Distribute asthma diaries and instruct children on their use.

We want to keep a diary as we move through our asthma adventure. Who keeps an asthma diary?

If yes, praise those who keep a diary.

Hand out diaries to the children (see educational tools).

You now have your own asthma Puff diary. Keep track of your asthma symptoms, medications, peak flow, and what you do. Let's complete your diary for today.

Do you think that recording your asthma symptoms could help make our asthma wishes come true? How?

Allow discussion, guiding it towards "cause and effect".

I think we have found our first treasure! Write or draw an asthma diary under "asthma treasures" in your Fun book.