My experience was pretty much the same, 5 years later, but may have started with disposable (monoject?) Syringes.
No special treatment once I got on the bus in the morning.
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I should read through all the comments before posting, but I am so anxious to respond, I’m not…
Your nephew is being discriminated against if excluded from field trips. It is a violation of his rights. He is entitled to go on all field trips and to be included in all school events, as any other child, while being cared for. Period. End of story.
That may not mean that a school nurse is present all the time, but it does mean that the school needs to provide someone trained in his care. It is the school’s responsibility to keep your nephew safe and cared for.
My son is now 16. He was diagnosed when 3. We’ve had a wide range of experiences with our school district - from wonderful to horrendous to the extent we had to take legal action. I have found that school personnel are at times stressed for resources and get in the habit of saying “no” or doing things the way they’ve always been done just because that’s worked in the past and no one has pushed back.
An approach of being prepared, knowing your rights and intending to inform and work collaboratively usually gets the proper attention and accommodations can be made in an agreeable way. They school personnel may not like it, they may seem miffed or think you are being unreasonable, but if armed with the facts and documentation of your rights, it can be productive.
The Safe at School Program by the ADA is your friend here. There are lots of great resources to help including people to talk to and a list of lawyers to contact should it come to that, but that’s a last resort.
For a point of reference, when my son was 13, care for him on field trips meant there was a staff person present trained in intervening should he need help with a low blood sugar including the administration of glucagon. At that point Caleb was independent and needed no other aid. For someone newly diagnosed, it could mean providing a chart for dosing based upon the carbs being eaten and the current bg, or could mean help with carb counting.
Caleb’s 504 plan changed over the years. We included the need for him to stay in class whenever possible so as not to restrict his access to instruction. This is a key point for school districts - they cannot send him to the nurse’s office if it means he’s spending so much time there he’s missing important class time. For us this meant installing a phone he could reach in the classroom when he was younger and then allowed him to use an ipod then his phone while in class for diabetes purposes. His phone is now considered a medical device in his 504 plan.
Sometimes is takes creativity to come up with accommodations that are reasonable for both the school system and your nephew. The bottom line though is that the school must make accommodations.
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Just for perspective… there are THREE written care plans that are appropriate for kids with disabilities; everyone knows about the 504 plan, but it’s only one - and the most basic one. The three plans in this case are the DMMP (Diabetes Medical Management Plan) which addresses specific medical management issues; for other disabilities, it’s “that disabilitiy” MMP. This would cover the management of insulin, snacks for lows, and the child’s specific areas for self-management. Next is the Section 504 plan, which addresses specific accommodations for the child (typically, bathroom privileges, snacks, and so on). Finally - and this one is more important later on, in higher grades - is the IEP, or Individualised Education Program, which outlines more specifically detailed issues to assure he gets the same access to education that all kids get. That may seem “complicated” - but it’s actually very beneficial. My youngest son required these - and without them, we wouldn’t have gotten through high school. Here’s a useful link from ADA on the subject - with examples: https://www.diabetes.org/resources/know-your-rights/safe-at-school-state-laws/written-care-plans
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I was diagnosed at 15 (9th grade), and the school nurse was just required to teach a few of my teachers and coaches how to give a glucagon injection and then I was good to go. The nurse never intervened at all after that point, and that worked out fine for me. I tested, gave injections, and treated lows on my own as needed throughout the day. I believe the option for teachers to opt in on glucagon training was opened up throughout the years without my or my mom’s involvement. As far as I know, in the 2000 person school there was only 1 other type 1 in the grade above me, but I obviously didn’t know everyone so there were most likely a few more. Six in one grade seems like a ton, so they need to figure out how to treat these kids! I agree with everyone else that he is being discriminated against, although the school may not realize what they’re doing is illegal. Hoping you guys can work something out for him - being diagnosed at that age is rough enough without having to deal with stuff like this.
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You certainly are correct, Tim. Sometimes I think that the educational system red tape just makes matters worse for people with diabetes today. We all know that learning to manage diabetes is an on-going, ever-changing process, and I hope that all new diabetics take the time to really figure out the best management steps for them.
We all love the ADA bc we are all linking to the same place. 
@T1Wayne , I’m wondering if my understanding of an IEP is accurate. I’ve been told (by school personnel) that it did not apply to Caleb because his academic performance demonstrated no cause for concern. I never challenged that because all our needs were satisfied in the 504 plan and the most academic accommodation he has is to be allowed to delay an exam/assessment if his bg is out of range. Is that not so (that it does not apply to him)? It’s very possibly I’ve oversimplified things.
As a Special Educator I can tell you that is illegal. Federal Law prohibits that type of discrimination. I’m really grateful for all the folks on here who provided you with links to resources on making sure your nephew has a 504 plan. Your family could also look into getting him an Individualized Education Program or IEP for an Other Health Impairment or OHI. He should also be given access to someone who is trained to deal with Type 1 Diabetes, including a paraprofessional. At 13 I am sure he would prefer the less intrusive option. I would highly recommend that if he wears an electronic monitoring device that he also keep a regular glucose monitor at school in case he needs it, or he senses his monitor’s readings are incorrect. He should also explain to friends what to do in case of an emergency, and to help him recognize telltale signs of a low.
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Lorraine - I know that many schools simply stick to the 504 plan… but include the necessary accommodations there, rather than using a formal IEP. As long as he’s getting the needed accommodations, I don’t think it matters where it’s “written up”. My wife and I were fortunate that our school system (very large, and very attuned to legal requirements and getting kids any necessary adjustments so they succeed and graduate on time) was quite helpful and happy to assist us with getting things in place. We had only the 504 until high school… but in high school, things get a tad more complex… and we found the IEP to be the solution we needed for keeping our son on track. My point here was to simply make you aware of the option - but if you’re getting what you need with “just” the 504, that’s fine. But the examples in that ADA link I included give you a good idea of what to consider… and when he’s older, you may want to add some additional accommodations. Good luck, and hang in there!
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.Yes, just started junior year!
It’s utterly mind-blowing that school districts try to get away with this BS. It would be nice if all these anti-discriminatory laws were enforced and the offenders prosecuted. I guess that’s asking way too much of our elected officials and appointed criminal justice personnel.