What Educators Should Know

Celiac disease is a digestive disorder caused by an immune reaction to gluten. Gluten is the protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and other grains.

In some people with the condition, eating gluten can cause diarrhea, belly pain and bloating, weight loss, tiredness, and skin rashes. Others don’t get these symptoms but still have damage to their intestines.

By working with your student and their family, you can help your student avoid gluten at school and have their best educational experience.

Challenges for Students With Celiac Disease

Students with celiac disease may:

• need to go to the bathroom often due to diarrhea 
• feel tired, weak, or irritable
• need to go to the school nurse for medicines
• have to bring their own snacks and lunch to school to avoid gluten
• need to sit at a gluten-free lunch table
• need to avoid touching products that contain gluten, such as play dough or papier-mâché (some kids can handle these products but do need to wash their hands afterward)

What Educators Can Do

Talk to your student and their parents about:

• Whether it’s OK for other students to know the student has celiac disease. Some kids may want privacy and don't want to talk about having celiac disease. Others may feel more open about it and might even want to teach their classmates about their condition. Support whatever choice your student makes.
• How they want you to handle serving snacks or drinks at school. They may want to send in gluten-free foods or give you a list of safe foods and drinks. Or they may be comfortable having you check the labels before giving snacks and drinks.
• What to do if your student accidentally eats/drinks something with gluten in it. For example, you can:
  • notify your student’s parents
  • notify the school nurse
  • let your student go to the nurse or bathroom if needed
• Whether your student can touch products that contain gluten (like play dough or papier-mâché). If it’s OK that they touch them, be sure they wash their hands with soap and water afterward.
• Any other special instructions.

If serving foods/drinks in class, help your student avoid gluten:

• If the student’s family sent in their own food or drinks or a list of gluten-free foods and drinks, serve those to your student.
• If you serve food or drinks to the student with celiac disease, be sure to read the food labels. If they're labeled “gluten-free,” they're likely safe to give. No law requires food makers to list gluten as an ingredient, though, so check labels for foods (wheat, barley, rye, etc.) that contain gluten.
• In general:
  • Foods that contain gluten include: wheat (and derivatives of wheat such as wheatberries, semolina, spelt, farro, graham, and more), barley, rye, triticale, malt, and brewer’s yeast.
  • Foods that do not contain gluten include: corn, rice, buckwheat, sorghum, arrowroot, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), quinoa, tapioca, teff, potato, plain meats, fish, chicken, legumes, nuts, seeds, oils, milk, cheese, eggs, fruits, and vegetables.
• Be careful of cross-contamination. Any cutting boards, utensils, and storage containers need to be cleaned well with soap and water before being used for gluten-free foods.

Other reminders:

• Have a plan for any substitute teachers so they know that your student has celiac disease.
• Remind your student not to take food from anyone else while at school.
• Help build your student’s confidence by recognizing and appreciating their strengths — in reading, sports, drama, art, or whatever they enjoy. 
• Provide support. If you think your student is feeling upset by their celiac disease, talk to them and their family about counseling options in school or in the community. Some school districts don’t require parents’ permission for a student to see a counselor at school while others do. Check your local school district’s policies.