By ARINDAM CHATTOPADHYAY

You need to communicate and discuss the matter to teachers, classmates, and school officials before your child heads off to school, its vital. It is necessary to update them all potential situations that may arise for a diabetic child. The school teachers and school officials should have a plan in place to handle any emergencies.

The kids with Type I diabetes which can require insulin shots throughout the day However, these can be self administered. School officials need to be aware of how often such shots should be given. School administration should be well prepared to allow a time and place for your child to receive his or her insulin shots. Teacher should assist the child in his or her requirement to drink water or the need to use the restroom.

You need to take utmost care to inform your childs classmates because its a personal one for your kid. If such a disclosure is made, it should be presented so that your childs self esteem should not hurt. You should educate them the basics of blood sugar and insulin and the need to supplement the bodys needs with insulin shots. Please make this information sharing an interactive one and allow the children to ask questions.

Inform classmates, teachers and school officials how a diabetic kid can behave unusually due to lack of sugar in blood. Your child may display occasional anger, become headachy, or become confused about simple matters. In such instances, the teacher or school nurse must offer your child fruit juice, a piece of candy or soda pop to help bring his or her blood sugar level up.

You need to educate your child on how to understand the early signs of diabetic crisis. The diabetes symptoms include tiredness, becoming shaky, feeling butterflies in the stomach, sweating. These are subtle signs that your childs blood sugar level is dropping and he or she needs a small meal to bring sugar level back under control.

School plays a major role in every childs all aspects of life. Your diabetic child, though a special child and requires special treatment but has the same dreams and interests as other children. Give them required assistance so that the kid can live a relatively normal school life. Your interaction with school officials, teachers and your kids classmate and their assistance is utmost necessary for a diabetic kid.

Author is the webmaster for childhood-diabetes.php, a website dedicated to disseminating information on diabetes, its symptoms, its treatments, and its complications on diabetes

By David Silva

Here are a few suggestions to help you balance your childs diabetic needs with his or her school environment.

1. Before your child heads off to school, its vital to prepare teachers, classmates, and school officials. First, they need to know what diabetes is and the potential situations that may arise for a diabetic child. Second, the school nurse, teachers, and school officials should have a plan in place for any emergencies that may arise as a result of your childs diabetes.

2. While childhood diabetes has seen a growing number of Type II cases, the majority of children with diabetes have Type I diabetes, which can require insulin shots throughout the day. In most cases, these can be self administered. However, teachers and school officials need to be aware of how often such shots should be administered and be prepared to allow a time and place for your child to receive his or her insulin shots.

3. Teachers, in particular, need to have a heightened awareness of the subtleties of diabetes. Requests by your child for a drink of water or a snack or the need to use the restroom should be taken seriously.

4. The decision to inform your childs classmates of his or her diabetes is a personal one. If such a disclosure is made, it should be presented in as positive a light as possible. For instance, you or another family member may want to do a short presentation to the class about diabetes and potential diabetes emergencies. Make sure the presentation is kept simple to understand, covers the basics of blood sugar and insulin and the need to supplement the bodys needs with insulin shots, and allows the children to ask questions.

5. Help classmates, teachers and school officials understand that low blood sugar can cause unusual behavior in a diabetic. Your child may display unusual anger, become grouchy or headachy, fall asleep unexpectedly, or become confused about simple things. In such instances, the teacher or school nurse must recognize the signs and offer your child fruit juice, a piece of candy or soda pop to help bring his or her blood sugar level up.

6. If you havent already, you need to educate your child on how to recognize the various signs inside his or her body that something isnt quite right. These can include tiredness, becoming shaky, feeling butterflies in the stomach, sweating, or feeling as if the blood is draining from your childs head. Again, these are subtle signs that your childs blood sugar level is dropping and he or she needs a small snack to bring it back under control.

School plays an important role in every childs life. Its no different for a diabetic child. You can help make your diabetic childs school experience as safe and normal as possible by preparing teachers, classmates and school officials to deal with the complications of this disease. Your diabetic child has the same dreams and interests as other children. Theres no reason diabetes should prevent him or her from living a relatively normal school life.

David Silva is the webmaster for Diabetes Base, a website dedicated to disseminating information on diabetes, its symptoms, its treatments, and its complications.