You probably spend about 6 hours or more at school each day — more than one third of your waking hours. If you have diabetes, chances are that during that time you'll need to take care of yourself by checking your blood sugar levels or giving yourself an insulin injection.
But the bathroom stalls are a far cry from the comfort and privacy of your own home, and you might be worried about how your friends, classmates, and teachers might react to your diabetes. How can you cope with diabetes at school?
Talking to Teachers and School Staff About Diabetes
Communicating with your teachers about your diabetes can definitely make the school day go a little more smoothly. Your teachers may not know a lot about diabetes, so this is your chance to turn the tables and teach them! You or a parent will probably need to inform your teachers (and other staff members, like your coach, school nurse, or school counselor) about your diabetes and how you'll need to take care of it during the school day. There are a few ways to do this:
Give your teacher, school nurse, and principal's office a copy of your diabetes management plan. This plan talks about what you will need to do during the school day, like test your blood sugar, give yourself injections, or eat lunch at a certain time each day. When your teachers know what needs to be done, they can schedule time into the school day. Your diabetes management plan also contains contact info for your doctors and diabetes health care team, so the school will know how to get in touch if you're sick.
Set up a meeting. If your school already knows about your diabetes and you just want to tell your classroom teachers, you could ask to meet your teacher before or after class to talk about what you might need to do during class, like visit the bathroom to test your blood glucose levels. Perhaps you can agree with your teacher that you can just leave class to use the bathroom or visit the nurse without drawing extra attention to yourself.
If a teacher knows you have diabetes, he or she can also be on the lookout for symptoms of diabetes problems and can call for medical help if you need it. Teachers are busy, so you might need to remind them once in a while that you need to do certain things to take care of your diabetes or that you'll be out for a doctor appointment. If you have a substitute teacher, let him or her know that you have diabetes and may need to do things like go to the bathroom or get a snack.
In addition to telling your teachers about your diabetes, it's also a good idea to get to know your school nurse. At some schools, people with diabetes need to get diabetes medicines or test blood sugar levels in the nurse's office.
Write a note. If you feel uncomfortable talking to teachers or school staff about your diabetes, you could write a note or letter instead that goes over what you'll need to do to take care of your diabetes.
In some cases, your school might even work with you and your parent to create a special plan that describes the ways they'll accommodate your diabetes at school. This may involve letting you eat lunch a little early or having a school nurse on site to help you with insulin injections, if you need it.
Talking to Friends and Classmates About Diabetes
As far as friends and classmates go, it's your call whether you tell them about your diabetes. If friends and classmates know, you don't have to worry what they think when they see you doing things to take care of your diabetes — like giving yourself an insulin injection or checking your blood sugar level. And if you've had diabetes for a while, telling your friends can be a huge relief because you don't have to make up excuses for taking time out to have a snack or go to the bathroom anymore.
Some people will tease anyone who is the slightest bit different from anyone else. Diabetes makes you a little different, so someone might tease you about it. If this happens to you, you're definitely not alone: In one recent study, researchers found that 1 in 3 kids and teens with problems like diabetes had to deal with bullying.
What can you do when people tease you? Your friends can be helpful here. For instance, they could say: "Knock it off. Diabetes is no big deal." Ignoring the bully is also a good strategy — bullies thrive on the reaction they get, and if you walk away, you're telling the bully that you just don't care. Sooner or later the bully will probably get bored with trying to bother you. Walk tall and hold your head high. Using this type of body language sends a message that you're not vulnerable. It may also help to talk to a guidance counselor, teacher, or friend — anyone who can give you the support you need. Talking can be a good outlet for the fears and frustrations that can build when you're being bullied.
However you choose to handle teasing or telling your friends, don't try to hide your condition by avoiding treatment or by eating foods that aren't on your meal plan — it'll just make you feel worse and may make you stand out even more.
Taking Care of Diabetes at School
Most of the things you need to take care of your diabetes at home, you'll also need to have at school. It's easy to forget things in the rush to get ready in the morning, so you could try packing your diabetes stuff, like medication, testing supplies, lunch, snacks, water, and your medical identification necklace or bracelet, the night before school.
It's helpful to keep a copy of your diabetes management plan with you all the time — like in your purse, backpack, locker, or car — so you have it for easy reference. If you run into any diabetes problems at school or you start having symptoms of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia, do what your plan says you should do, like have a snack or check your blood glucose levels. (Some teachers don't allow you to eat in class, so be sure your teacher knows what's going on.)
Another part of taking care of diabetes at school is knowing who can help you if you have a question or health emergency. If the school nurse isn't in, is there someone else who can help? Should you call your doctor or your parent? Which kinds of problems can wait until after school and which ones should you handle right away? Talk these things over with your parent, doctor, and someone from school. Write down what you should do and who you should go to and keep this information with your management plan. Knowing what to do can help you feel more confident if you do have a problem at school.
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: September 2007
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