EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DIABETES AND SCHOOL

If you have type 1 diabetes, you are just like all the other children in the classroom. Most children from grade 4/5 onwards also know very well how to manage their diabetes. They know when and what to eat to keep their blood glucose up and how to use insulin. They also know when to call home for consultation. Very important is that the teacher understands this and provides space for it. Younger children, up to grade 3 or 4, sometimes need just a little more attention. This requires good agreements, so that the child just has a nice elementary school time. How do you do that? How do you arrange that? What are the possibilities and impossibilities?

CAREFREE WITH DIABETES TO SCHOOL FOUNDATION

The Carefree with Diabetes to School Foundation provides support for a pleasant elementary school period for your child with type 1 diabetes. Diabeter has been one of the supporting partners of this foundation from the very beginning. Carefree with Diabetes to School has helped to raise awareness among politicians and the education world of the importance of a carefree elementary school period. Parents of a child with type 1 diabetes will find a website packed with tips on diabetes at school here: 

 www.zorgeloosmetdiabetesnaarschool.nl

SPEECH ABOUT DIABETES

Speaking engagements about diabetes. We regularly receive requests to hold a speaking engagement about type 1 diabetes. A speaking tour can be a great way for a child to share with his or her classmates what it is like to have type 1 diabetes. The children in the class learn about low and high blood sugars, what that can do to a child with diabetes and how to deal with it. The Diabetes Association of the Netherlands (DVN) has prepared a nice talk about type 1 diabetes for you that you can find here. You can adapt it to your situation.  For example, we can imagine that you don't use the syringe if you have an insulin pump, and you measure your blood sugars with a FreeStyle Libre.