Ah, middle school. The in-between place of growing up. No longer a little kid, but not quite a teenager either. No more hand-holding from teachers and school staff. More homework, more responsibility. A proper class schedule. Lockers. You’re moving up in the world. Getting older. More independent. Should your T1D care be “growing up” with you?
(This post is sponsored by Dexcom. All opinions are mine.)
I think it depends on a lot of things.
My son just started 6th grade and doesn’t have help from school staff with his T1D care.
This wasn’t a spur of the moment decision. We planned a lengthy transition for him to get to this point.
First, is your child ready for more independence at school?
Here are some things to consider:
- How independent is your child with their T1D management at home? If they can’t do it at home, they likely won’t do it at school either.
- When were they diagnosed? If it was quite recent, no matter what age, they may need assistance for a while.
- How old are they? There isn’t a set age that children become more independent with their T1D care, but around age 10 or 11 their brains are starting to develop to the point that they could take on more responsibilities like glucose checks and insulin administration (often without requiring reminders from adults). Prior to that age, most children are not developmentally able to take on such a large responsibility.
- How easy is it for you to communicate with them while they’re at school? If they have a cell phone and use the Dexcom G6 app (and you have the Follow app for remote monitoring*), you’ll be able to help them out more easily if an unusual situation arises.
- How helpful is the school? I hate this one, but if the school staff are resistant to helping, it might be better for your child to take on more themselves. Even in places where children have a right to T1D care in school, if the staff is begrudgingly doing their duties, how safe is your child, really?
In our case
Jordan was diagnosed a few months shy of his third birthday. He’s now 11.
He does a lot of his T1D management independently at home.
Jordan checks his glucose numbers, gives boluses, changes his pod and Dexcom sites on his own. He can SWAG a plate of food as well as we can and he’s learning about insulin timing and how different foods break down in his body at different rates.
He’s able to do everything physically that is required for independence at school.
I’m able to help him as well. With the Dexcom Follow app, I can see his glucose numbers on my phone while he’s at school. I can see the graph, the arrows, and get alerts if he’s going high or low.
If he encounters a situation he’s not sure about, he can text me. Or, if I have noticed a trend or see something unusual, I can text or call him.
Is it perfect? Of course not. He’s learning how to take over. That takes time and practice. How fantastic that we have a way that his dad and I can stay involved while he’s learning!
Want to learn more about the Dexcom G6 System? Head over to www.dexcom.com/en-CA for more information.
My son just started 6th grade and doesn’t have help from school staff with his T1D care
And it’s not even close to the thing I’ve been most concerned about.
He’s in a new school. There was no school for the last semester last year, so he didn’t get to see inside the school before his first day. Usually, they get a tour and have a few “visit” days the year before they start.
He has to take a school bus. Instead of being a 15 minute walk away like he was in elementary school, it would take over an hour to walk to his middle school. Luckily, there’s a school bus where we live. But, we didn’t get the bus schedule until the day before he started school. Stressful!
I hadn’t met his teacher. Or the IEP coordinator. I don’t know the office staff. Or how to get around his school.
Heck, I’m not even allowed in his school anyway.
We didn’t know where his bus stop was. Or what he needed to bring on his first day. We didn’t know what school was going to look like. Or if he’d have any friends from his old school in his class.
One thing we do know
Jordan’s diabetes is in our hands. He, and I, can take control and do whatever is needed to treat and often prevent high and low glucose numbers. He can be confident and independent at school.
Because we’ve been practicing this. We practice at home. When he asks how many carbs are in a meal, or if he should use a combo bolus, we ask him what he thinks before giving him an answer. We discuss it as a team and then decide what is the best option. Sometimes he even has a better idea than we do.
He’s practiced at school. We knew middle school was coming, so we started when he was still in elementary school. Kind of like using training wheels.
With supervision, he’s gradually become more independent. Doing his own glucose checks, responding to alerts, and bolusing. After a while, all he needed was a quick nod at the classroom door from an EA to let him know that he should be bolusing for recess snack or lunch.
Now that he’s in middle school
He doesn’t need reminders.
When his Dexcom alerts in class, his teacher gives him a quick glance to make sure everything is alright, then goes back to teaching.
He’s able to text me to let me know what’s happening.
I can text him if I see something unusual.
He knows what he’s doing with his diabetes management. And he knows that I’m a quick phone call away whenever he needs me.
Happy Carb Counting!
~ Leah
*Internet connectivity required for data sharing. Following requires the use of the Follow app. Followers should always confirm readings on the user’s Dexcom G6 app before making treatment decisions.
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