How do you talk to your child's teacher about T1D? What are important things for them to know?
Hi there!
How old is your son/daughter? I've gone through elementary, middle and high school with diabetes so I think I might be able to help!
Hi Julianne,
I am just starting the conversation to help people that may be looking for this type of advice. Please feel free to share your experience!
I got T1 at age 4, so I've been through every year of school with it also. From kindergarten to about 7th or 8th grade, my parents and I met with the teacher before school started to just say, hey, I'm diabetic.
With the younger ages, my parents would keep the teacher stocked with orange juice, cookies, and glucose tablets (and I carried tablets in my backpack), and made sure I knew where to go if I needed those things. My teachers knew my symptoms for lows (sleepiness, wild eyes, inability to really respond) and highs (extreme thirstiness and frequent bathroom use).
As I got older, talking to the teachers wasn't as big of a deal. When I reached high school, my teachers didn't even know unless I specifically told them and my parents weren't part of that discussion any longer.
My experience showed that it really was my responsibility to take care of it. Nobody knew my symptoms better than me and my parents, and while teachers of course wanted to help, there really was only so much they could do.
Thank you for sharing Khristine! It sounded like you had a pretty good experience with all of your teachers.