Learn where to find resources and information to help support your child with T1D thrive in their new school year.
Receiving a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (T1D) for your child can be an overwhelming time for parents. Learning to manage the disease and adjusting to the new normal can bring significant stress to a family. And even when a family has adapted to life with T1D, new stages in school can bring with them additional stressors.
T1D is a chronic autoimmune disease where the body attacks the cells in the pancreas that are responsible for insulin. There are approximately 300,000 Canadians living with T1D in Canada. Canada has one of the fastest growing rates of diagnosis in the world, and it’s not known why, and the highest diagnosis demographic are youth aged approximately 11-14 years old, although it can be diagnosed as young as infancy and into adulthood. There is currently no way to prevent the onset of T1D, and there are no cures.
People living with T1D must constantly measure blood glucose levels and administer insulin externally, either via multiple daily injections, smart pens or insulin pumps every single day in order to stay alive. It’s a steep learning curve, and one that can change day-to-day – which can cause additional anxiety when it’s time for a child with T1D to start a new school year.
And even with these tools, the risks of hyper or hypoglycemic episodes (blood glucose going too low or high) are always present. This requires carrying fast-acting sources of sugar everywhere you go and ensuring there are always snacks available. This could mean your child has to eat at times when their fellow students don’t. This feeling of being ‘different’ can make school a scary place for a child with T1D. Talking to their teachers ahead of time and having a few trusted friends in their class can help.
School transitions also come with new challenges. Moving from elementary to middle or high school can mean your child might want to exert more independence over their T1D management, with less parental oversight and involvement. And while this is an important step in any child’s path to autonomy and young adulthood, it doesn’t make the transition any easier for the parents or the worry they feel any easier.
Both Breakthrough T1D Canada, and in particular Diabetes at School are great places to start. On their websites, parents can find a wide range of checklists, training materials to offer educators, and resources to help students feel more prepared and empowered to manage their T1D while at school.
Resources include materials to help parents:
- Prepare for back-to-school when your child has type 1 diabetes
- Ensure your child’s school is prepared, and where to find resources
- Educate teachers and administrators about the rights of students with type 1 diabetes at school
- Advocate for your child or youth with type 1 diabetes
Breakthrough T1D Canada is the largest non-profit in Canada driving towards cures for T1D while making everyday life better for people affected by T1D. Its advocacy program Access For All connects with all levels of government to ensure that diabetes technologies like advanced glucose monitors and insulin pumps are universally accessible and affordable for all Canadians with T1D. These are life-saving devices that improve disease management and outcomes and can make the transition back to school a little less fraught.
Breakthrough T1D Canada also offers a number of support services to help families through a new type 1 diabetes (T1D) diagnosis, provides resources to better navigate T1D and make personal connections with those who share similar experiences to earn from those who have been there already. Breakthrough T1D Canada wants to make sure that at whatever stage of the T1D journey a family may be on, they never feel alone.
Starting a new school year brings with it a unique set of challenges for any student, and this is only heightened when you add type 1 diabetes. But with the right tools, resources and support, you can send your child off to school with confidence.
To learn more, visit www.breakthroughT1D.ca or www.diabetesatschool.ca.
