Caring For Diabetic Children In School

One of the most common and difficult lifetime conditions a child has to endure is having juvenile diabetes. At least two in every thousand individuals below the age of twenty is suffering from this disease and nearly all of them interact or are in school at any given time. It is thus important to have diabetes safety precautions within school premises.

In the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1991, Sec 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 together with the Americans with Disabilities Act, diabetes is considered a disability. As such, it is illegal for schools and other centers to discriminate against children with disabilities. If the institution, be it a day care center or university, receives federal funding, then special accommodations must be provided to those individuals suffering from disabilities. It is required that each student with diabetes would be individually assessed and appropriate accommodations must be placed in the school setting with little disruption on the child's routine in participating in the activities of the school.

In order to fulfill its legal mandate, the school and its personnel must have an understanding of diabetes and must be trained in its management and treatment during times of emergencies. These can be done through assistance in monitoring blood glucose levels of students, providing diabetes friendly meal plan in the cafeteria, assistance in injecting needed insulin and appropriate activities safe for children of all ages. Other requirements include knowledge in diabetes emergency care such as low blood sugar or high blood sugar attacks. Having an overall diabetes health care plan in the setting would be the first step in the right direction.

The diabetes plan must include specific programs for the following instances:

1.Blood glucose monitoring, including the frequency and circumstances requiring testing;

2.Insulin administration, if necessary including dosage control, injection periods for specific blood glucose results and the proper storage of insulin;

3.Meals and snacks, including content, amount and schedule;

4.Symptoms and treatment of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) including administration of glucagon if allowed by student's physician;

5.Symptoms and treatment of hyperglycemia or high blood glucose levels;

6.Testing for ketones and appropriate protocols for abnormal ketone levels requested by the student's health care provider;

Thus it is important to comply with the legal requisites for children with diabetes left under one's care and supervision. Being knowledgeable and prepared would not only save the life of the child in your care, but can eventually save yours in the long run.