Starting school with diabetes
What to agree with a school before the first term, and who needs to know what. A short checklist for parents of a newly diagnosed child.
The weeks before a child returns to school after a diagnosis are usually the most anxious part of the whole year. Most of that anxiety comes from not knowing who is responsible for what.
Agree a plan before term starts
Ask for a short meeting with the class teacher, the school nurse if there is one, and whoever supervises break and lunch. The aim is not a long document. It is a single page that answers four questions:
- Where is the child's kit kept, and who else can reach it?
- What does a hypo look like in this child, and what is done about it?
- Who supervises testing and dosing, and at what times?
- Who is called first, and what is the second number?
Tell more people than feels necessary
Parents often brief the class teacher and stop there. Then there is a supply teacher on a Tuesday, or a sports day run by someone else entirely.
The people most likely to be present in an emergency are the ones least likely to have been in the meeting.
Ask that the plan is shared with every adult who supervises the child, including temporary staff.
Let the child hold as much as they can
Independence is the goal, and school is where it develops. A seven-year-old can usually explain what a hypo feels like. A ten-year-old can often test unsupervised. Hand over what they are ready for, and say clearly what stays with an adult for now.
If you would like help preparing for that conversation, get in touch. We run briefings for school staff, and we can join the meeting with you.