July 11, 1999
Social Issues: School and Daycare
Question from Gold Coast, Australia:
My son (age 9 years) was diagnosed at age 6 years. He is academically, socially, and physically, a high achiever. His current primary school allows him the independence to test when and where required — he keeps his testing kit in his bag and only presents at the sick bay when he is ‘sick’. This has been a great bonus to his developing self-esteem as a child with diabetes, he is in control and his school are caring and ever watchful.
Our problem now involves the choice of private secondary school which insists that our child present at the sick bay for all finger prick tests because of the risk of blood cross infections, etc. His paediatrician disputes this discrimination and requests that our son have the right to deal with his chronic illness in a normalized setting as possible. Also, as a high school student, his paediatrician feels that he should have his insulin with his lunch, not in the sick bay where a stroll to receive Humalog is contraindicated.
I agree with my son and his diabetes team — but what rights do the school, in Australia, have to demand a regression to ‘Nanny rules’.
Mum (teacher at a Special Ed. Facility)
Answer:
I do not know the current regulations in Australia for diabetes care in the schools. (It has been six years since I worked in Sydney). In the US, things have changed a lot. It used to be that each school would determine its own policies. Where I work now, in upstate New York, all schools require that blood glucose monitoring and injections be done in the health office due to the concerns of infection, etc. that you mentioned. There have even been some cases where other students have gotten lancets and syringes and caused some problems.
So, for you I would work with your paediatrician and school to find out what the current policies are. Don’t be surprised if more and more schools have policies such as this new school. My patients find it inconvenient, but cope well with going to the health office for their diabetes care. Hopefully you’ll work something out for your child, which will allow your child to attend the school you prefer and not interfere too much with social development.
LM
