April 12, 2001
Behavior
Question from Warrenton, North Carolina, USA:
Can the blood sugar level be controlled in a school-age child who does not want to do work in class and who uses sickness to get out of doing work?
Answer:
Blood sugar levels can be monitored as frequently as a parent has the ability to control in a school setting. This becomes more difficult as a child grows older into the teen years. If you are seeing signs of a child manipulating their diabetes or feigning illness for personal gain, it is time to talk to the child’s diabetes team. They should be able to direct you to a resource that will help you solve this sometimes challenging problem!
MSB
[Editor’s comment: Yes the blood sugar can be controlled. Using diabetes to get out of school work is not an uncommon occurrence, but requires counselling by a mental health expert experienced in the care of children and diabetes.
SS]
