If you ever get the chance to meet my T1 son, you would understand even more. Towards adults, he is one of the more charming 14 year old’s out there, which is why we were so surprised. She also didn’t give him a choice, just put your diabetes stuff (pump) away or leave the classroom.
I see this as an issue of balancing the relative harms versus benefits for the individual and the community. For instance, I think it’s unfair to expect any kids in class to watch my son do a site change or a sensor change. The amount he has to do it, the time he’d lose if he had to go to the nurse’s office, etc., would be minimal for him in the scheme of things. Whereas the weird-out factor would be huge for his classmates.
On the other hand – looking at a Dex receiver, eating a glucose tab unobtrusively, or even testing blood sugar needs to be done frequently enough that asking a kid to leave class 7 or 8 times a day would needlessly take him out of class and could likely affect his long-term performance and ability to learn in a dramatic way. Whereas watching a kid eat a glucose tab should not weird anyone out. In that instance, I would strongly advocate for the 504 to allow him to do those routine treatments in class.
I feel like this is literally the exact same argument that comes up with breastfeeding in public. And there are the same types of arguments at play.
1 Like
Even though it is allowed, he would never do a site or dex change in the classroom.
He has however, prior to the pump, taken a little too much joy in administering a shot at lunch, and watching his friends not be able to watch.
1 Like
I agree completely, and since my wife and I chose to breastfeed much longer than the average, it feels uniquely similar, except the diabetes never ends 
1 Like
I think the difference is the time-sensitive nature of diabetes care. A wound that needs dressing every 4 hours could be timed to be done during class breaks with minimal disruption. When you’re low, you have to treat imminently. Walking out of the class is a) possibly unsafe (heard many stories of kids who were required to go to the nurse’s office to treat lows passing out in the hallway) b) interrupting a lesson.
Fully agree with this. When I refer to diabetes care, I’m ONLY talking about the simple things…the things that require time (changing out pumps, changing out CGM’s, etc.,)…that would be done at home before ever going to school. And IF his pump/cgm spits chunks, I would want him to do this change out in the nurses office for two reasons…one, it would be a distraction to the class, and two, I wouldn’t want him to feel “pressured” and mess something up.
My wife has always breastfed in public…and although she tends to drape a burp towel over her shoulder, she used to still get looks. I was very quick to let them know if they don’t like it they can turn their f’ing heads (and yes, I’ve said that before when rude comments were made toward my wife.) I have little tolerance for ignorance.
That would have really riled me. I have a very quick temper for these things. I see red – really.
This is the most compelling argument in this whole thread.
2 Likes
There is no valid reason to ever ask a kid to leave a classroom to test his BG or take insulin. Doing those things are like breathing, it is a matter of staying alive.
The young people need to be responsible with it and understand that it is not being done as a sideshow. It should always be clear to them that they are not doing it to distract anyone, they are not seeking attention, they are only doing it to take care of business. It is never done for any reason other than because it is needed.
They should aim to be discrete. Not because they are ashamed of it, but just for the sake of not being a distraction. As long as they understand that, they should never under any circumstances be prevented from doing it.
2 Likes