Diabetes
Helping a student with Diabetes access a general education is a cooperative effort between school, parents, and student. The following lists give suggestions for helping a student with Diabetes access a general education.
School accommodations and responsibilities:
- Establish a good working relationship with the parent/guardian
- Provide diabetic management training to willing and capable school employees
- Provide training for additional school personnel so that trained people are available when primary people are not available
- Make available, if necessary, an area of privacy to test and administer insulin
- Permit student access to a person trained in diabetic management procedures when needed (usually the school nurse)
- Permit student access to snacks as needed
- Give student permission to use restroom as needed
- Make water available to student as needed
- Make sure student has access to diabetic supplies as needed
- Keep a logbook to record student’s blood sugar levels, insulin dosages, and other related diabetic procedures
Parent involvement:
- Work cooperatively with school nurse and school personnel
- Insure that their student’s diabetic related materials are readily available to trained school nurse and school personnel
- Maintain the student’s blood glucose testing equipment, this includes cleaning and performing controlled testing per manufacture’s instructions
- Provide the school with the physician’s order(s) for managing the student’s diabetes at school
- Provide the school with emergency phone numbers of parent/guardian and other responsible individuals ***(Note in an emergency situation if none of the people listed can be contacted, the school will contact trained medical personnel and cost incurred will be the responsibility of parent/guardian)
- Provide the school will supplies to treat hypoglycemia, including a source of glucose and a glucagons emergency kit, if indicated in the plan
- Provide information about the student’s meal/snack schedule
Student self-management strategies and responsibilities:
- Cooperate in a diabetic related tasks at school
- Follow the physician’s order(s) as to managing the student’s diabetes in school
- Age appropriate, self manage the diabetes, including blood-glucose testing, drawing insulin, self administration of the insulin
- Becoming a self advocate with others in regard to the their diabetes
*** These are not complete lists of suggestions or accommodations, but they are suggested ideas used by parents, teachers, and students to help the student access a general education.