If you are the parent or caretaker of a young child with Type 1 Diabetes who is in school, a diabetes management plan for school is essential.
Your diabetes medical management plan will be key to well-managed diabetes and effective communication between you and your child’s school.
What is a Diabetes Management Plan for School?
A diabetes medical management plan is a document that you create to provide to your child’s school. You may ask for help from your medical team, or ask your child’s doctor to review it and sign off on it after you draft it.
The diabetes care plan outlines critical information like:
- Administering medication, including dosages and methods
- Measuring and monitoring blood sugar
- Record keeping and tracking
- Emergency contacts and protocol.
Diabetes is a potentially serious condition. The diabetes management plan informs the school nurse and those who will be supporting your child about how to manage your child’s diabetes according to what your doctor and medical team have prescribed.
Steps for Creating a Diabetes Management Plan for School
Templates are very helpful for creating a diabetes care plan. There are many available online. If your medical team has not recommended one, try a google search to find one that’s relevant to your home country.
I like to use the Diabetes Medical Management Plan template from the American Diabetes Association.
You don’t necessarily have to use an existing template, but they are a very useful shortcut.
We also use the Diabetes School Journal every year for tracking daily metrics and keeping notes at school. It’s a vital part of managing diabetes at school because it acts as a recording and communication tool between school and home.
Once you have your template ready, follow these steps to put your diabetes management plan together:
- Fill in as much of the information as you can.
- Write a list of questions to ask your doctor or diabetes team as you go.
- Consult with your doctor to confirm what you have written, and fill in any gaps.
- Make copies to provide to your child’s school. Ensure you have back-up copies also.
- Set reminders (at least quarterly) to review the plan, update if needed, and if anything changes, schedule refresher sessions to review this with your school nurse and teacher (see below).
How to use a Diabetes at School Management Plan
When your diabetes medical management plan (DMMP) document is ready, it’s time to go through it in detail with your child’s school support team.
I like to send the document through to the school nurse (or whoever is going to care for my son) ahead of each new school year, and request a one-on-one appointment to go through the plan face to face. It’s important that anyone at school who plays a role in your child’s safety is briefed in detail, and has easy access to your child’s care plan.
Children grow quickly and their medical needs can change, so be sure to note any updates on the diabetes school management plan. Each time the document is updated, set a new appointment with the school to review the changes.
More Help for Managing your Child’s Diabetes At School
As the mother of a young child with Type 1 Diabetes, I’ve had extensive experience creating useful tools and educating nurses, teachers and others at my son’s school how to care for him. For more details on creating and using a DMMP as well as other important advice, grab my free guide, 5 Essentials for Managing Diabetes At School.
For more useful articles to help your child stay safe and healthy at school, here’s a list of my Diabetes At School blog posts.
And of course, enrol today in The Ultimate T1D School Game Plan!
Get The Ultimate Type 1 Diabetes School Game Plan
If you need more guidance in managing your child’s diabetes at school, you’ve come to the right place!
I’ve gathered together all the knowledge and resources you need to work with your school in keeping your child with Type 1 Diabetes healthy and cared for at school.
This online course is self-paced, delivered via step-by-step videos and includes printable guides, templates and links across the internet for finding more information relevant to your country.
I (Pam Durant) will be your instructor, sharing everything I’ve learned as:
• The mom of a school-aged son with Type 1 Diabetes (10 years+)
• A former healthcare professional (20 years+ in healthcare management, consulting and education)
• A qualified wellness and lifestyle coach (I’m a certified Wellcoach® with a special focus on coaching people with diabetes and their caretakers)
• A diabetes advocate and mentor, embodied in my work as Founder of DiapointME.
The Ultimate T1D School Game Plan is now open for enrolment.
It’s designed for:
• Parents of children who are newly diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.
• Parents who have a child with Type 1 Diabetes already in school who want more structure around the management of their child’s diabetes at school.
• Parents who are frustrated with how their child’s Type 1 Diabetes is managed at school.
You’ll get instant, lifetime access as soon as you register. I’d love to share all of this knowledge with you, so that you can feel confident every day when you send your child with Type 1 Diabetes to school.
Leave a comment for me below if you have any questions – I am always happy to help!
5 Essentials for Managing Type 1 Diabetes at School
Relieve some of the anxiety you feel whenever your child with Type 1 Diabetes heads to school for the day.
You'll find tips on educating the teacher and nurse, making emergency snack boxes, traveling on the school bus and more.
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