IBS in children and school diarrhoea exclusions for autistic non-verbal child?

[BattyBurg]

Has anyone got any experience of IBS in children please? DS has frequent bouts of diarrhoea and I’m always having to pick him up from school. He gets home and is absolutely fine and then has to have two days off school for the 48 hour rule.

It’s happened quite a few times in the last few months where the school say he’s had a bout of diarrhoea then he’s fine when he gets home so it can’t be a tummy bug?

DS is non verbal and autistic so he can’t tell me how he’s feeling.

Just wondering if he did have a diagnosis of IBS would the school be more understanding if he had one bad poo and not make him stay off for two days?

Thanks ☺️

Dd mainstream secondary school allowed her to come in if she had no temperature, was not feeling lethargic and no other symptoms that could potentially be a bug. It took me about 3 years to get it written into her care plan (and school complaining about attendance). I actually did a break down of her non attendance showing what I felt was due to ibs, what was due to medical appointments, what was due to autism (anxiety/burn out), what was due to illness directly linked to long standing conditions and what was general bugs etc. When the school could see in black and white the main absence area was ibs (when she did not need 48hrs off) they changed their policy. Her average attendance now hovers around 90% compared to 80% so is quite a substantial increase. Look at how this negativity impacts the school and show how this can improve school statistics (they care a lot about this).

Thanks for your reply. Glad you finally managed to have the school policy changed, they do need to make an exception for IBS or other conditions that aren’t stomach bugs. I’m also looking at food intolerances so I’m going to eliminate milk for a few days and see how he is.