I am having problems with my son’s school. I am aware that public schools have to accommodate him using the pump or they will lose their federal funding, but they claim they do not have the funding for a full time nurse. They need a certified nurse to supervise him when he needs to bolus, but he is seven and can do this by himself if I tell him how many carbohydrates to plug in. By law, do they have to fund a full time nurse or do I have to move him to another school, which is what they keep telling me to do? I believe this is discrimination, but I don’t know how to go about this the right way.

Public schools are required to provide services and make modifications to meet the needs of children with diabetes under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1990 and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. If your school has taken the position that only a school nurse is permitted to provide care, then it is your school’s responsibility to provide a nurse – during the school day, on field trips, and when your son participates in extracurricular activities. I strongly suggest that you ask your school for a copy of the policy or law they are citing so that we can determine whether or not its interpretation is correct. Also, please call 1-800-DIABETES for more information and assistance and review School Discrimination on the ADA web site.

CJ