Diabetes Care in the School and Day Care Setting
- American Diabetes Association
Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood (1). There are ∼186,300 individuals <20 years of age with diabetes in the U.S. Based on 2002–2003 data, the rate of new type 1 diabetes cases was 19.0 per 100,000 children and of type 2 diabetes was 5.3 per 100,000 (2). The majority of these young people attend school and/or some type of day care and need knowledgeable staff to provide a safe school environment. Both parents and the health care team should work together to provide school systems and day care providers with the information necessary to allow children with diabetes to participate fully and safely in the school experience (3,4).
DIABETES AND THE LAW
Federal laws that protect children with diabetes include Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (5), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (originally the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975) (6), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (7). Under these laws, diabetes has been considered to be a disability, and it is illegal for schools and/or day care centers to discriminate against children with disabilities. In addition, any school that receives federal funding or any facility considered open to the public must reasonably accommodate the special needs of children with diabetes. Indeed, federal law requires an individualized assessment of any child with diabetes. The required accommodations should be documented in a written plan developed under the applicable federal law such as a Section 504 Plan or Individualized Education Program (IEP). The needs of a student with diabetes should be provided for within the child's usual school setting with as little disruption to the school's and the child's routine as possible and allowing the child full participation in all school activities (8,9).
Despite these protections, children in the school …
