Diabetes is an inability to regulate the blood sugar in the body. Full details about this condition and the management of the medical needs in schools is given in the main article on diabetes. That article also explores how diabetes can interfere with learning and influences the student's behaviour. This article is about managing the learning and behaviour needs of these students.
How do you manage the learning needs of diabetic students?
It is important to evaluate the impact that a student's diabetes is having on their academic and social development. It also important not to overly assume that any lack of progress is because of the diabetes and ensure that their individual learning needs are fully assessed. Strategies for supporting learning include:
Use visual support such as task boards to support times when their concentration flags.
Make available written explanations and instructions so they can quietly rejoin lessons when testing or toilet breaks etc cause them to leave.
Liaise closely with parents about progress and make available learning materials for children who experience a high rate of absences.
Support younger children with a resource folder of fun learning materials such as wordsearches, colouring exercises etc that can be kept in the medical room. Children can be encouraged to access when feeling OK but needing to sit quietly whilst waiting for glucose re-test.
Support older students to maintain progress towards exams by positively encouraging them to catch up with missed learning and signposting them to revision materials.
How do you manage the behaviour needs of diabetic students?
All students with diabetes should be considered vulnerable and should be included in the school's inclusion monitoring and analysis. Strategies for supporting social, emotional and mental health include:
Diabetic children may benefit from opportunities to be included in group activities including interventions to promote social resilience.