Planning Ahead
Meeting the needs of students with diabetes requires advance planning for special events, such as classroom parties, field trips, and school-sponsored extracurricular activities held before or after school. With proper planning for coverage by trained diabetes personnel and possible adjustments to their insulin regimen and meal plan, students with diabetes can participate fully in all school-related activities.
While there are usually no forbidden foods in a meal plan for children or teens with diabetes, school parties often include foods high in carbohydrates and fats. Providing more nutritious snacks will be healthier for all students and encourage good eating habits. The parents/guardian should decide whether the student with diabetes should be given the same food as other students or food the parents provide. Parents should be given advance notice of parties to incorporate special foods in the meal plan or to adjust the insulin regimen.
Students with diabetes often view a field trip as one of the most interesting and exciting activities of the school year must be allowed to have these school-related experiences. Although it is not unusual to invite parents to chaperone field trips, parental attendance is not a prerequisite for participation by the student with diabetes. Trained diabetes personnel should accompany the student with diabetes and ensure that all the student’s supplies are brought along with the student and that there are snacks and supplies to treat hypoglycemia.
The plan for coverage and care during extracurricular activities sponsored by the school that take place outside of school hours should be carefully set out in the student’s 504, IEP, or other education plan. As with field trips, trained diabetes personnel must be available at these activities.
Planning for disasters and emergencies
To be prepared in the event of natural disasters or emergencies when students need to stay at school, the parents/guardian must provide an emergency supply kit. This kit should contain enough supplies for 72 hours, including the following items as appropriate:
- Blood glucose meter, testing strips, lancets, and batteries for the meter
- Blood or urine ketone test strips
- Insulin and supplies
- Insulin pump and supplies, including syringes
- Other medications
- Antiseptic wipes or wet wipes
- Fast-acting source of glucose
- Carbohydrate-containing snacks
- Hypoglycemia food supplies (enough for 3 episodes): quick-acting sugar and carbohydrate/protein snacks
- Glucagon emergency kit
Produced by the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), a federally sponsored partnership of the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more than 200 public and private organizations.
To obtain copies of the complete publication titled, Helping the Student with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel (NDEP-61), please call the National Diabetes Education Program at 1-800-438-5383 or visit the program's website at www.ndep.nih.gov to download copies.
This reprint is compliments of Abbott Diabetes Care, Inc. Reproduced with permission.
Important Notice: Information provided is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your physician about any health care questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to health care issues.
DOC14651-Rev-A 04/08
