I have five-year-old twins who just started kindergarten. One has type 1 diabetes. We have chosen to separate them. It seems the one with diabetes is depressed and his numbers are not as good as when he was in preschool when they were together. I am considering requesting that they be put together. Do you know if the separation could be causing stress for my son with diabetes? The teacher he has feels sorry for him and thinks he will break. I just needing some guidelines in making this decision.

I am not familiar with any research on twins with diabetes in the school setting and whether or not they should be in the same or different classrooms. However, it is unlikely that merely being in the same classroom as his brother will immediately improve his mood and his blood sugar control. Something more than being in the classroom with his brother is probably going on and it’s important to figure out what that is, so he can feel better (both his mood and his health). Please contact your diabetes team and/or your pediatrician for referrals to mental health professionals with expertise in children with chronic illnesses. Getting a consultation from an expert is going to help you figure out what kind of support your son needs so he can be happy again.

JWB