Living with Diabetes

While fill-in-the-blank forms can help parents, health care providers and schools work together to create an effective diabetes management plan at school, they do a better job of pointing out the challenges than providing actual solutions.  For some challenges, more specific resources are helpful.

Parents, health care providers and schools will find the resources below helpful in the planning for specific situations and times in a student's life

Special Considerations in the Education Planning Process

Office for Civil Rights Guidance on Extracurricular Athletics
This formal guidance from the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights clarifies that children with disabilities under Section 504, including diabetes, have equal access to participate in extracurricular athletics.

Extracurricular Activities and Field Trips
This fact sheet provides parents and guardians with the information necessary to make sure that students with diabetes can safely take part in the full range of activities and programs their school has to offer, from aftercare programs to overnight field trips to sports.

Daycare, Camps, and Recreational Programs
Resources developed by the Association regarding the rights of children with diabetes to participate in daycare, camps, and recreational programs.

Post-Secondary Education Rights and Resources
Learn about legal protections and the kinds of accommodations a student with diabetes might need beyond high school, as well as how to work with post-secondary institutions.

Religious Schools and Diabetes
This fact sheet provides parents and guardians with information necessary to keep students with diabetes safe and healthy no matter where they attend school.

STOMP Project (Specialized Training of Military Parents)
Information and help for military families of children with diabetes

Standardized Testing and Diabetes
Learn about the accommodations a student with diabetes might need within a standardized testing environment, as well as how to work with schools and testing corporations to secure approval for accommodations.

Back-to-School Tips 
Whether you’re new to diabetes, or facing a new school or new school year, this page provides tips on how to work as a team to create and implement a diabetes care plan in school.

Resources for Meal Planning and Dietary Management at School

• USDA Guidance for Accommodating Special Dietary Needs of Children in School Nutrition Programs (PDF)
  Guidelines describing factors that must be considered by food service in planning menus to serve students with disabilities.
• USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory
  Search for the nutritional value of foods