Your child's school may be prepared to deal with children with diabetes, but it is important for you to do your research and be involved in the process. That typically means gathering the information that the school needs, making sure that it gets to the right people, and meeting with school officials to discuss their plans for accommodating your child. You'll also need to prepare your child to manage diabetes away from home.
It may sound complicated, but members of your child's diabetes health care team can help. In addition, school administrators and nurses often have experience in getting kids with diabetes ready to participate safely and successfully at school.
Working With Your Child's School
Most of the things you need to care for your child at home are needed at school, including your child's specific diabetes management plan, diabetes medications, and testing supplies. At school, your child might need to:
- check his or her blood sugar levels
- take insulin or other diabetes medications
- eat snacks when necessary
- eat lunch at a certain time and have plenty of time to finish the meal
- have easy access to water and time to take bathroom breaks
- get physical activity and participate in school events like field trips
- recognize and get treatment for low blood sugar episodes
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that you give the school a packet with general diabetes information, including how to recognize and treat hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. The ADA also recommends that you supply a copy of your child's diabetes management plan. This plan tells school staff what to do and who to contact if a problem happens. It also should include your emergency contact information, contact information for your child's doctor, and phone numbers for other members of the diabetes health care team in case there is a question or problem.
Communicating With Educators
The school staff should be made aware of your child's diagnosis and current health status. It's also good to clarify:
- your responsibilities
- the school's responsibilities
- any accommodations that the school may need to make
To keep the school staff informed about your child's condition, it's a good idea to review your child's diabetes management plan with your child's school annually — or whenever it is updated or changed.
You may also meet with staff at the school, such as the principal, your child's teachers (including the gym teacher), the school nurse, and any coaches your child may have. They will tell you if they need anything else from you. In addition, you should ask about their experience and preparedness for dealing with diabetes. Feel free to ask questions. Let them know if you feel they need to learn more. For example, if a staff member seems unfamiliar with diabetes or is anxious about dealing with it, he or she might be too restrictive or make kids with diabetes feel different. You want to build an open exchange with the staff and meet or talk with them regularly to ensure a healthy educational environment for your child.
Your child's diabetes management materials need to go to school as well, including:
- medications
- testing supplies
- snacks
- a medical identification bracelet or necklace
- any other things that your child's doctor recommends
You might arrange these items into packages for teachers, the school nurse, coaches, your child, and others.
Diabetes, School, and the Law
There are certain laws designed to protect the rights of children with diabetes who attend school. Under these laws, diabetes is considered a disability. That means it's illegal for schools or child-care centers to discriminate against children with diabetes.
In addition, any school that receives federal funding or any facility considered open to the public must reasonably accommodate the special needs of children with diabetes. In your child's school, this means that teachers and the school nurse (if there is one at your child's school) will assess your child individually to determine the best ways to ensure that your receives appropriate education in the context of his or her diabetes. The school may be required to create a legal document called a 504 plan that describes how it will meet your child's needs. You also may get an individualized education plan (IEP) for your child that outlines educational goals and how the school will achieve them.
The school needs to meet your child's needs within the usual school or classroom setting with as little disruption as possible. This will help prevent your child from feeling different from his or her peers. The school also must accommodate your child's needs during activities outside the classroom, such as sports teams or extracurricular clubs.
Some schools have all the staff that's needed to ensure proper care for kids with diabetes, but others might not have the necessary skilled or trainable personnel. For example, many schools share a nurse with other schools in the district, rather than having one available all the time. Be sure that your child's school addresses how the staff will meet your child's needs in the classroom and during activities such as field trips.
Finally, your child (and everyone else) has a right to private health information, according to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). But to accommodate your child's special needs at school, school officials and members of your child's diabetes health care team may need to share medical information. Ask your child's diabetes health care team and school officials about how they will share information and discuss how they will ensure your child's privacy. Your child's doctor and the school may need written permission from you to exchange medical information about your child. This is important because if a problem happens, the school staff may need to get information about your child's health quickly.
Preparing Your Child
At first, parents often feel nervous about sending a child with diabetes off to school. It's important to educate kids about diabetes without passing along feelings of fear or nervousness. Your child should understand how to monitor and treat the disease at a level that's appropriate to his or her age and development. Kids need close supervision at school, but they also need to feel safe and that they fit in with their peers. By preparing both the school and your child, you can allay some of your fears and help your child feel confident.
Your child's doctor can offer advice to help your child handle diabetes away from home. Here are a few tips:
- Be sure your child knows whom to contact for help, such as a teacher, nurse, or coach.
- Teach your child how to handle lunchtime and other eating situations without your supervision.
- Pack your child's backpack with all the supplies and snacks needed to manage diabetes easily.
- Instruct your child to tell you about any issues related to diabetes management at school. Be sure to ask how things are going regularly.
Organizing your child and the school seems like a big project at first, but your child's doctor and school staff are there to help. Good preparation not only ensures that your child will have healthy school days, but can help you and your child feel more confident about going to school.
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: September 2007
