Discrimination at School

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Talking About Diabetes at School

If your child eats snacks and/or checks her blood glucose in the classroom or nurse’s office, her classmates will naturally want to know why. A short statement by your child or her teacher about her diabetes is probably sufficient to allay students’ immediate curiosity.

Of course, many of her classmates will naturally want to know more about diabetes. This is a good opportunity for your child to educate her friends and other students about diabetes. However, the decision of how and when to tell classmates and how many details to include is up to her (with your input). You may wish to encourage her gently to be open about her diabetes. Here are some options that you and/or your child might consider to tell her classmates more about diabetes.

Further Reading . . . Helping the Student with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel Together with the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), the U.S. Department of Education, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Association of School Nurses, and other organizations, your American Diabetes Association has produced a new diabetes resource for schools. And, best yet, it's free. For books on healthy living, click here.

• Your child could talk to her class about diabetes. This could be in the context of a school assignment, such as a science project or a speech class. Or her teacher(s) may allow it as a special educational experience for the class.
  

• Your child may prefer to invite her diabetes educator to class. Diabetes educators are trained to teach in a variety of settings, and most have experience visiting their clients’ schools.
  

• She may decide to go with a more low-key option -- answering questions from classmates as they come up.

Whatever option your child chooses, provide her with age-appropriate materials to give to friends and classmates as needed. Your diabetes educator can recommend these materials.

Sometimes children with diabetes want to keep their condition a secret from as many people as possible. They may feel that diabetes is something to be ashamed of (especially if they have the mistaken idea that diabetes is their fault). Or they may be afraid of appearing different from their friends and classmates. If your child is newly diagnosed, it just may take some time and encouragement for her to accept her diabetes. But if she remains overly secretive (or if her secrecy becomes a danger to her health), it may be helpful to consult a mental health professional with expertise in children with diabetes (or other chronic diseases).

Finally, keep in mind that every child is different. How open your child is about her diabetes -- at school and in the rest of her life -- depends on her personality and her attitude toward diabetes. You may also see her attitude change in the coming years, as she grows in both maturity and diabetes experience.

Additional Information

Lean more about your child's rights at school.