I have a question for all you parents out there...my son is in 1st grade, and the school he goes to does not allow his insulin pen into the classroom (or specifically to remain in his backpack).
So far this year, he has been bringing his meter (since they want this also not in his backpack) and insulin pen into the nurses office in the morning and then goes into class. However, this has been causing some problems with him being marked "tardy" quite often since for a 7 year old to reach the cabinet and do all the necessary steps to leave his supplies in the office requires a longer time.
I recently met with the school principal to discuss this issue, since I believe my son should be allowed to
A. leave his supplies in his backpack until he is tested at morning recess or B. go to class first, check in with the teacher and then be excused to drop it off. The response we have received is that Austin needs to "step up his morning routine" and "that he is always going to have to deal with accomodating his routine in life."
I am wondering what you all have in place or have gone through, and what I should be thinking as a mother.
Lucas carries (or his teacher carries) his diabetes bag with him EVERYWHERE. He is on a pump, in his bag he has his meter/lancet and a glucagen shot and skittles and a chart showing how many skittles he needs depending on his bg. He also has the gel. He has place in his classroom that he can check as well as on playground or anywhere else. Since he is in kindergarten, his teachers assist him in reading the charts. I think it is much safer for him to have this freedom / responsibility. I guess I never really gave the school a choice - I said he needed to have the bag with him at all times and they accomomdated. He goes to a public school but is the only child with diabetes. It is a Montessori public school so they may be more apt to adjust per individual child.
Tardy's are a concern, especially when moving to another school, but what does he do if he feels low in class? Someone walks him to the nurses office? Does he have to go up or down stairs? (I always worry about lows and stairs - we live in a 4 story open stair town house). Would they allow just the meter and sugar on him? Then he could just permanately keep the pen in the nurses office.
As a parent of an eight-year-old with type 1 diabetes and as a teacher, I am appalled at the response of the school. Have you set up a 504 plan with the school? This plan is designed to protect the rights of the student with any chronic condition. The school principal, nurse, classroom teacher, a parent, and anyone else involved in the care of the student should have a meeting to establish guidelines. The parent has the right to request that the child be allowed to keep supplies handy, etc. Our endo. had several sheets ready to file with the school requiring that my son be allowed to have all supplies with him. Section 504 is a national plan. I'm sure there is a website that will explain how everything works. You are also protected against absenses related to diabetes. I would assume that would include tardies. It seems to me that the school is walking a fine line with some serious legal issues.
100% not exceptable/ You have every right to wonder and be discouraged by the treatment both you and your son are recieving. Please look into a 504 plan. We went off alot off the sample guidlines. We made some adjustments specific to his habits and needs. They are bound bt law to abide by this thing. Ethan is also in first grade. His kit, which consisted with all the nessasary stuff in it, is in an unlocked drawer in the offce. Which is pretty close to his class. He has unlimited excussed absences and tarties. He is allowed to not take tests if his bg is to high or to low. There are guidlines for trips and activities. This has been a great tool for both the school and us. i think it will help you very much. You can put as much detail in as you want.
We even had to change his teachers form of punishment. She was removing recess privalages. I explained to her his stuff is all figures out with that activity in mind. he needs that exercise. Anyways that was a bit of a battle, i suggested a change in his 504 plan. It all worked out. I hope this helped. They need to understand this is your childs lifeline. Would they keep someones wheelchair away from them or a blind childs cane? Good luck. Let us know how this goes.
My daughter was diagnosed in 6th grade and is now in 10th. Every school year we need to educate the school system on the needs of a type 1 diabetic student. It sounds as though your son's school is in need of education. By the way, I am a teacher so I know how difficult it can be to get a school procedure to change. Is this the first time the school has had a type 1 student? I would ask for the system policy that requires he not be allowed to keep his meter with him.
I would not have a problem with my daughter not carrying her insulin, but would never allow her to be in school without her meter, some fasting acting glucose and glucagon. We finally got the school system to understand their liability if something were to happen due to their restrictions.
I would use the materials available from JDRF to inform them of the risks they are asking you and your son to take. I would hope they would put the needs of your son ahead of a set of rules that need to be amended for his well being.
Hi - I am a special ed teacher (with two type 1 diabetics in my school) and the mom of a child with diabetes. We have safety plans in place for each child and that plan was written with a nurse and the parents. Both plans outline times for testing, procedure for a low, emergency contacts etc. One student is in kindergarten and has a educational assistant in the room at all times. We keep all her supplies in a plastic tote within the classroom. The other student is older and he always has his tester with him and keeps his insulin pen in his teacher's desk. He has a copy of his sliding scale for corrections and then writes his results on a chart. He is gaining independence but still will come to see me for extreme highs and then we will call his mom.
I have also put little baskets in the music room, library, computer lab, classroom and first aid room that contain juice boxes (low kits) I figure if they always have access to sugar they will be safe.
My daughter is now in grade 8 and she is on a pump. She carries her glucometer at all times and has sugar tabs in a pencil case in her binder. Plus juice boxes in her locker. I think it is important that my daughter's friends see her test and begin to understand diabetes because they may one day need to help her in an emergency situation. This is already a life altering disease and these children need routines that make them feel as comfortable and as regular as possible.
I would agree that JDRF's literature is helpful to inform teachers and the school.
When my son was in first thru 5th grade he was always on the pump so insulin wasn't a concern, but he kept his meter, extra syringes, juice, tabs, etc. in the nurses office. He also kept an emergency box in every classroom he was in during the day (gym, music, etc.) with a care guide that we went over with all his teachers explaining basic low symptoms and when to escort him to the nurse to be tested if they even suspected a low. It also had juice and tabs in each box. He also has always had a 504 which I would definately recommend. Jack is alway excused for diabetes related bathrooms breaks, lateness, leaving during class, anything he needs due to diabetes he cannot be penalized for. Now Jack is in 7th grade and things are a bit different, he carries his own tabs around from class to class in his binder since his is in so many rooms thru the day, but each teacher still has a care guide and knows all about Jack and know to never let him go alone to the nurse if he feels weird. And he still has a 504, which I think is even more important now as they get older. The tests get a little harder, lateness is even a bigger deal in junior high, some teachers think they are just messing around, they need to be protected. Just my opinion but if anyone needs"stepping it up" it's this school, they need to be more accomadating to you, Austin and you have enough to deal with. Good Luck!
My 10 year old 4th grader has two different "kits" at school. One is in the office, it has syringes, glucagon, glucose tabs, and gel, as well as extra alcohol swabs, and a juice box. She also has her kit, that she carries with her at all times, that she keeps in her classroom, at her "testing spot" by the teacher's desk. She takes this kit with her to each different room she goes to, since it is more like a purse that has everything in it (glucagon, glucose tabs, her Novolog, meter, etc). The school is also great about providing juice or milk from the cafeteria if she needs it, as well.
The only issue I have had is that this year, her teacher gives the kids 3 bathroom passes a week. They get "tokens" they use to go out to the bathroom, since there is not one in her classroom. I have had several meetings with her teacher in regards to the fact that if she has to go, she has to go.... she can't wait until lunch or recess. There are times when her body is going to need to use the bathroom, and if she is out of "tokens" so be it, she still has to go. I have finally told her that if she is out of tokens, and the teacher says she can't go, and she needs to go, to just leave the room, go to the bathroom and get back to class, and I will deal with the teacher/ principal. This has not happened yet, but her 504 will take care of that. I got one on file the first day of school.
She is one of 3 T1 kids in the school, and the support system they have is EXCELLENT. The school counselor meets with the 3 kids once a month at lunch time to have lunch together, and they have their own little support group, which I am extremely thankful for, since the closest support group in our area, right now, is more than an hour and a half away.
That is ridiculous. Do you have a 504 plan? My son is in high school. He is allowed to carry his supplies with him.
I work in a elem. school and the child at my school does not carry her supplies with her. She keeps it in the nurses station. But she is allowed to go check anytime.
My son is late alot to classes and in the morning. As long as it has to do with his diabetes he is excused. Your child has a dissablity and they need to work around that.
If you dont have a 504 read up on it. Make a meeting with your school. The principal, nurse, and his teachers. This will lay out how things work and he wont get tardies. He is also excussed for more sick days.
I hope this helps you. I know it is difficult. But the school really needs to work with you.
My daughter is also in first grade and she is the forst child with diabetes to go to her public elementary school. I got her a 504, she just went on omnipod insulin pump. When I told them that her supplies were now to switch from being kept at the nurses office and her having to go down there to being kept on the teachers desk so she could have them available, the only person that seemed a little reluctant was the principal. I thought she was nervous about the lancet getting in the hands of a first grader. However, she was concerned that the expensive PDM pump/ meter of the omnipod might get stolen. When I assured her that was a chance I was willing to take and would not hold school accountable for lost or stolen items, she seemed fine. You might want to find out specifically what is keeping them from letting your child keep stuff close. Perhaps you could work something out. Good luck, I know how hard school issues can be
My daughter is in Kindergarten and wears a pump but her school and teacher has been wonderful. She has a specific spot in class where she keeps a blood checker (we have one that stays there), glucagon, test strips, pump supplies and whatever else she needs. My daughter checks her blood sugar right in class as well. We asked her if she wanted to leave or stay in class and she likes doing it in class. she did get lots of questions at first but the teacher used it as an opportunity to educate those around her. Although small still, they all know Courtney has diabetes and has to check her blood sugar. When kids come over to play they don't even pay any attention to the blood checking because they are so used to seeing her do it. When the kids go out to play or leave the classroom the teacher throws the blood checker into a cool little bag I provided them with. The bag already has a few snacks for lows in it so all she needs to do is toss her meter in. This works well. I would contact your local JDRF and see if they have any resources for you. I received a booklet about handling schools and what to do in events like this. If i could remember where I put it I would give you the name but I know I got it from the local JDRF office. We also had a local family having issues with a daycare not wanting their child and I know ADA helped them out with some legal aspects. It didn't get to the point where they had to involve a lawyer but they got a person to handle the daycare and set them straight, or perhaps scared of a lawsuit.
You don't need to put up with this from the school. Get in their face and let them know that you and your child run this show and not them. Set up a 504 plan as well. That will protect your son. You can find great examples of 504 plans online. Perhaps the school staff just needs some training. So many people are ignorant about this disease and what is truly involved in good control. But if being nice doesn't work crack the whip with them. Good luck and please let us all know how this turns out.