Some Ontario families with young children who have Type 1 diabetes want school staff to be able to help students test blood-sugar levels and inject insulin to manage the condition better.
An Ontario eduction document specifies how much help teachers can give elementary students if they have to take medication, and what role educators play in meeting the health needs of school-age children beyond teaching.
The document has not been changed since 1984, but a review by consulting firm Deloitte and Touche is underway.
The group Diabetes in Ontario Schools wants the province to follow New Brunswick's model, where schools help children with diabetes manage their disease, including testing blood sugar and providing insulin shots. The Ontario group is not specifying that teachers be given that responsibility, though in New Brunswick, teachers are allowed to assist if they choose, and doing so is covered under their liability policy.
here in manitoba school staff can assist with BG checks, but cannot have anything to do with insulin (or insulin pumps). since my son is 5, he cannot do his own shots, so i need to go to the school anytime he needs insulin. next year i will need to go everyday at lunch for sure (even if he can give his own shots, they can’t help him calculate the dose or double check that it is correct even). I don’t see why one of the TAs cannot be trained to deal with insulin (there is even a staff at the school who has a child with D who would be willing but is not allowed). so my plan for next year? try to get a job at the school so i am already in the building.