Back to School with Type 1 Diabetes: A Practical Guide for Parents

Going back to school with Type 1 diabetes involves a bit more preparation than buying new shoes and remembering where you put the PE bag in July.

There are insulin supplies, hypo treatments, glucose monitoring, school lunches, PE, new teachers and the question that probably sits at the back of most parents' minds: will the right person know what to do if my child needs help and I'm not there?

Children with Type 1 diabetes spend a huge chunk of their week at school, so you need to feel confident that the people around them understand their individual needs.

Not frightened of their diabetes. Not treating them differently. Just prepared.

Make sure their Individual Healthcare Plan is up to date

This is probably the first thing I'd put on the back-to-school list.

Children with Type 1 diabetes should have an Individual Healthcare Plan (IHP) setting out exactly what support they need at school and who is responsible for providing it.

Every child's diabetes management is different, so this needs to be about your child, not simply a generic diabetes policy.

Diabetes UK recommends that the plan covers things including blood glucose monitoring, insulin, hypos and hypers, physical activity and what should happen in an emergency.

If anything has changed over the summer, tell school before they go back. A different insulin routine, new technology, changes to their hypo symptoms or simply your child becoming more independent can all mean their support needs changing too.

Check the diabetes kit before September

It's one of those jobs that's much easier to do before the first frantic Monday morning.

Go through whatever your child needs during the school day and check that everything is there, in date and that school knows where it should be kept.

Depending on your child's own diabetes plan, that might include their glucose monitoring equipment, insulin and equipment used to administer it, hypo treatments, snacks and any emergency supplies advised by their diabetes team.

And don't forget PE.

Exercise can affect blood glucose levels, so your child's individual plan should cover what they need before, during and after physical activity. Diabetes shouldn't automatically stop a child taking part in PE, sport or school activities.

Does everyone who needs to know actually know?

Your child's class teacher may know their diabetes inside out.

But what happens when there's a supply teacher?

What about lunchtime staff, PE teachers, breakfast club, after-school club or the adult accompanying them on a school trip?

You don't necessarily need every person in school knowing every detail of your child's medical history. You do want the appropriate people to recognise when your child may need help and know what they're expected to do.

Diabetes UK says school staff should know what to do in an emergency and that appropriately trained staff should be available to support a child's diabetes care.

I'd also make sure school has your current contact details and knows exactly who to contact if they need you.

Help them have a voice, without relying on them to explain everything

As children get older, many naturally start doing more of their own diabetes management.

That's brilliant.

But I don't think that means we should assume they'll always be able to explain everything if something goes wrong.

A child experiencing a hypo might be confused or behave differently from normal. Younger children may not recognise what's happening at all.

This is one of the reasons I like having medical information somewhere visible and easy to access.

Our Safe & Snappy Type 1 Diabetes NFC Tag can be clipped onto a school bag, coat, clothing or lanyard. If somebody needs to help, they can tap the tag with a compatible smartphone to access the emergency information you've chosen to add.

If your child prefers something worn on their wrist, our Medical Alert NFC + QR Wristband gives another option.

It's not a replacement for an IHP, trained school staff or their diabetes equipment. I see it as an extra layer. A simple way of helping important information travel with your child rather than relying entirely on them being able to communicate it.

There's no app for someone to download and no ongoing subscription.

Remember the bits of school that aren't routine

School trips are the obvious one.

A day at a museum, sports day or residential can change meal times, activity levels and the usual routine quite dramatically.

It doesn't mean children with T1D shouldn't go. Quite the opposite. The preparation just needs to go with them.

Diabetes UK has specific resources for school trips and recommends planning how a child's diabetes will be managed while they're away from the normal school environment.

I'd have that conversation early rather than waiting until the consent form appears in the school bag three days before the trip.

A quick T1D back-to-school checklist

Before September, check:

• Your child's Individual Healthcare Plan is current

• School has up-to-date emergency contact numbers

• Diabetes supplies are stocked and in date

• Hypo treatments are easily accessible

• Relevant staff understand your child's individual signs of a hypo and what to do

• There is a plan for insulin and blood glucose monitoring

• PE and physical activity are covered

• Breakfast or after-school clubs know what they need to know

• School trips and residentials are considered

• Your child knows which adults they can go to for help

• Medical ID or emergency information is accessible if you choose to use it

Then let school be about more than diabetes

There's a lot to organise. There really is.

But once those plans are in place, the aim isn't for your child's school day to revolve around Type 1 diabetes.

They've got friends to see, teachers to meet, spellings to forget and probably a brand-new water bottle to lose before half term.

The medical preparation happens around all of that so they can get on with school.

That's what I want for our children. To be prepared, supported and understood, while still being allowed to just get on with being kids.