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Kids with Diabetes in School
For parents of children living with type 1 diabetes the school year is often immensely stressful, particularly if their children are young or just recently diagnosed with this disease. For many parents and their children, it matters where they go to school. Some school staff are very comfortable and understanding about the needs of children living with type 1 diabetes. Others, however, are less willing to accommodate the needs of children with diabetes in their classrooms.
The Canadian Diabetes Association has heard from parents who have been told that their child cannot register at the school because of diabetes. Other parents have told us about their children being denied school trips or educational programs because of their diabetes. And still other parents have contacted our Association to discuss how to convince their schools’ staff that denying access to orange juice during class or asking the child to test blood glucose levels unsupervised in a washroom or closet is inappropriate and potentially dangerous to the health of the child.
Sabrina’s Law was passed in Ontario to enhance the safety of students with anaphylactic allergies but, except for New Brunswick’s Education Policy 704, there are no other provincial policies, regulations or legislation requiring school boards or schools to accommodate and protect students with life threatening illnesses, including diabetes.
To address our concerns about the lack of consistency in policies or regulations to support children with type 1 diabetes attending school, the Canadian Diabetes Association has developed a proposed provincial/territorial Act with the purpose to appropriately accommodate and protect students with diabetes, severe allergies, epilepsy or asthma. Building on the precedent set by Sabrina’s Law in Ontario, our Association is asking all provincial and territorial governments to enact the Individual Medical Care Plan for Students with a Life Threatening Illness or similar legislation to ensure that all school boards develop comprehensive individualized medical plans for students who are living with any life threatening illness, including type 1 diabetes.
The Canadian Diabetes Association has also published its 2008 Standards of Care for Students with Type I Diabetes in School. This is the product of our Association’s extensive efforts to clarify the essential partnerships that must exist in order to provide a positive educational environment for kids with diabetes.
Documents in French
Plan de soins médicaux individuels pour les élèves atteints d’une maladie constituant un danger de mort
Normes de soins à l’intention des élèves atteints de diabète de type 1 à l’école