You mentioned trying to use albuterol. It's helpful to calm an individual down if you think that the stress of being short of breath is aggravating the situation. However, realistically, if you can't breathe, you're probably going to be agitated. In that circumstance, ideally you know how to give albuterol. You know how to give it in the most effective way.
Some children are on metered dose inhalers or puffers when they're well.
Particularly young children may get by with that, but when they become ill suddenly, that may not be the best way to give thealbuterol. Oral syrups don't work very well, particularly with acute asthma events, and nebulized albuterol may be the best way to give the drug. It's important for parents to know the best way to give a symptom reliever such as albuterol when their child has an acute asthma attack. Because the child probably can't take care of themselves at that point to do it. It's incumbent on the child if they can speak that they alert the family to things going badly.