That's cheaper than three weeks in the intensive care unit. Unlike at home, where Alex's mom can constantly monitor the state of her apartment, school environments are uncontrollable.
Students carry viruses, carpets carry dust, and the air carries allergens.
Research shows that schools are the best place to identify asthmatics because you don't have to rely on parents making and keeping doctor's appointments. Last year the Houston Independent School District reported that 4,180 students had asthma. Across the country researchers and the ALA have started sending students home with questionnaires on the disease, hoping to find undiagnosed asthmatics. The project has brought in physicians such as Stuart Abramson to treat kids at 30 schools while monitoring students at 30 control schools. Since asthma is the number one reason students miss school, program officials want to see if proper medication and care will not only make kids feel better but also help them perform better in the classroom.