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Episode 8: Back to School: Supporting a newly diagnosed Type 1 return to school
48 Plays6 days ago
In this episode of The Type 1 Club Podcast, Jacqui sits down with a compassionate and experienced teacher to explore the best ways to support a child with type 1 diabetes returning to school after their diagnosis. Together, they discuss practical strategies for creating a safe and inclusive environment, managing the day-to-day challenges of blood sugar monitoring and insulin doses, and fostering open communication between school staff, the child, and their family.
This insightful conversation offers valuable tips for educators, parents, and caregivers navigating this transition, highlighting the importance of teamwork, understanding, and empathy in empowering children to thrive academically and socially. Whether you’re a teacher, parent, or someone looking to learn more about life with type 1 diabetes, this episode is filled with actionable advice and heartfelt insights.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share with anyone who might benefit from the Type 1 Foundation’s message.
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Transcript
Disclaimer and Podcast Introduction
00:00:00
Speaker
The content provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Reliance on any information provided by this podcast is solely at your own risk.
00:00:22
Speaker
Welcome to the Type 1 Club. Whether you're a parent grappling with a new diagnosis, a caregiver seeking guidance or simply someone wanting to learn more about Type 1 diabetes, this podcast is for you.
00:00:36
Speaker
Together, let's dispel myths, break down barriers, and build a community of understanding and resilience. Join us as we embark on this journey together, because with knowledge, compassion, and support, no one should ever feel alone in managing Type 1 diabetes.
Meet the Hosts and Guests
00:00:54
Speaker
Welcome to the Type 1 Club.
00:01:00
Speaker
Hey everybody and welcome to the Type 1 Club. I am Jackie Kidman. I am a mum to Harvey who was diagnosed in June 2022 with Type 1 diabetes. Today I have a guest who's very well known to me but won't be well known to anybody else. She was particularly helpful for us when Harvey was first diagnosed as she was the one that helped us to return back to school. So I would like to welcome Steph Strong or Miss Strong as we all know her.
00:01:32
Speaker
between my kids to the podcast. So welcome, Steph. Hi, thank you for having me. So Steph, do you want to just quickly just tell everybody or the listeners who you are and your teaching? Yep. So my name is Steph, obviously. I've been a teacher for about 10 or 11 years now, mostly in the junior grade. So lots of grade one and preps. And I've had now three diabetic children since starting teaching. So had my fair share of yeah type one experiences.
Challenges and Support for Diabetic Students
00:02:01
Speaker
Yes, absolutely. And that was one of the things that I remember when Harvey was diagnosed and I do know for type one families, when there's this diagnosis, you know the the thought of a child being able to return to their day-to-day sort of things is quite overwhelming.
00:02:21
Speaker
And I remember thinking, I'm going to have to homeschool Harvey. How am I ever going to be able to let him, you know, out of my sight? And I remember sending you an email and just said, oh, here's what's happening. You know, Harvey's just being diagnosed with with diabetes. And I'll talk to you about how we return to school kind of thing. And I remember the email that came back from you was Well, it was always, of course it was lovely, but you just kind of really reassured me by saying I've actually taught, you know, Harvey will be the third diabetic child that I've taught in four years. And I was kind of like, oh my gosh, wow. And you kind of even knew the language before I even did. So there was a lot of comfort there for me, but not everybody gets that. So I thought it would be really helpful for future parents
00:03:10
Speaker
but current parents who are kind of embarking on these this world of primary school, of returning to school, to sort of share with them some of the things that you did that helped to really support our family and Harvey along the way. And maybe as well that can also what other educators and teachers could do in the future as well.
00:03:34
Speaker
So we've got a few questions that we're going to do. I'm going to sort of fire out. I'm going to try and jog Steph's memory along the way. It's been a couple of years now, but and she had Harvey for six months, but that really did help to settle us back into sort of the school ah school routine and also the handover to the following years. I think that it sort of set the precedent
Preparation and Classroom Management
00:03:58
Speaker
as well.
00:03:58
Speaker
So I've definitely put you on a pedestal, Steph. So I guess when you, I mean, you can use Harvey as the example, but I guess when a parent, or you can just reflect on when a parent comes to you with an initial diagnosis, for example, type one, what's your sort of and initial kind of response or feelings around that?
00:04:21
Speaker
So in a Harvey situation, I was obviously very surprised. I mean, type 1 diabetes obviously affects everybody. Like, you know, there's no real way of knowing. And I just didn't expect that email to come through at all. um I was very shocked. I felt awful for you guys because I knew exactly what sort of information was being thrown at you and just thinking about poor little Harvey. He was so tiny at the time as well. He's much bigger now, but at the time he was so small and I was just thinking about him in hospital and obviously you guys being introduced to this whole new world. So obviously, yeah, wanted to reach out and reassure you guys that I knew what I was doing and that whenever you were ready that
00:05:04
Speaker
we were ready to have him back. My first ever diabetic, we actually, he was actually diagnosed in Kinda. So when he started PrEP, we knew that he was coming in. So we actually were able to get a bit of a head start in terms of training, meeting with the families and talking with their doctor about the care and the management plan prior to him starting school. So that was really helpful given that at the time I hadn't ever had a diabetic. So it was, you know, it's that whole new language and that whole new stress of it all, like everything, you know, you're constantly, it's always on your mind. You're never not thinking about that child and
00:05:42
Speaker
where they're at and how they're feeling and what they need before certain things, you know, if you're going out to sport or to play time, what sort of things you need. So I know that initial diagnosis is really, really overwhelming. So I think, yeah, just reassuring families and letting them know that there is lots of education for schools. Did you know about that before you had your first diabetic child?
00:06:03
Speaker
No. So given that he was coming in and he already had the diagnosis, the family reached out and connected us with Monash Children's and they were amazing. So they actually sent his one of his nurses out, or it might have been his doctor, I can't remember now, but they came to the school in December and did some training with us. So we learned how to do the finger prick, how to check the blood sugar levels and Yeah, just that basic training of you know how to eat, what they should be eating and when they should be eating and all that.
00:06:34
Speaker
you know documentation that goes along with it. But yeah, I remember he was very much a learning curve for me. Poor thing, his fingers were like a pin cushion because we were constantly checking his levels and making sure that he was okay while him and I were still learning. He was still getting used to his body as well um and found it really hard to read those those signs of his hypos. So yeah, it was a constant checking with him. Whereas I know with Harvey, he had the CGM and he had the um the CGM. He had that fairly quickly and he was also very in tune with his body. He was you know much less of a finger prick, a constant check with him. But um having that training and again with Harvey and the other child that I had, the hospital where you had communication with the hospital again, they sent people out again to
00:07:25
Speaker
give me another updated course and make sure that it was specific to to Harvey and his needs. I do remember remember you were quite good at the cues of when Harvey would need to eat and you would modify like when fruit snack would be or when morning tea you know like so that he could he could kind of snack a little bit earlier if you saw that he was dropping all that sort of stuff.
00:07:47
Speaker
So in terms of the day-to-day stuff, like how did you find balancing? You've obviously got this child that has diabetes, but every other child has in your grade, has other needs. How did you balance that? I mean, it just takes practice. It's one of those things that it certainly was always on my mind and it could be quite mentally draining the the thought of, you know, what could happen to him and always needing to be those few steps ahead. um I am very lucky at our school, especially in the junior levels, we had extra support. We've got um teachers aides that have been trained up in managing diabetes as well. So um when I taught a boy in prep, he actually had an aide with him that was um there to help me check his blood sugar levels. We've also hired a nurse since, because now we've got four diabetics in the school. So before
00:08:45
Speaker
um before the first boy was diagnosed, we didn't have a regular school nurse, whereas now we do. So they're able to manage the insulin um at playtime, at lunchtime. And also for those severe hypos, they're able to come down and assist us in the classroom, which is really good because I think that was one thing that was really tricky. You know, we're always on the move, especially in the junior grade. So if you've got Harvey, for example, that's having a hypo when your grade is going out to assembly or going um out to playtime or to PE, you know, you need to be able to do something to help them, but you also have the rest of the grade that needs to go out.
Maintaining Normalcy and Peer Education
00:09:23
Speaker
anne So it's, yeah, just about finding that balance and trying to be accommodating, I think,
00:09:29
Speaker
Yeah, being, being aware and having that reading, oh, the light's gone off on me. Having that reading of, you know, his signs and symptoms and being able to check his levels with the um CGM was really helpful. Being able to be a little bit more prepared.
00:09:47
Speaker
um before moving on to things and, you know, giving myself that 15 minute buffet, if we were going to go somewhere, I would check him prior and make sure that he wasn't about to drop so that he would be ready to go to PE at PE time or he would be ready to go out to play when it was play time. So he wouldn't miss out on those sorts of things. Oh, he hated missing out on PE when he had a hypo. He used to get really mad at me because I didn't do the right dose or something. He was like, you've written the wrong number.
00:10:16
Speaker
I think there were a few times I'd just send him out to pee with a couple of crackers in his hand, just like if he was on the brink, I'm like, just take the crackers. You can't stop that kid actually. So in terms of like and managing that, the class, you also were quite good at informing the class about Harvey's diagnosis. Maybe just sort of walk me through like what you what you did and what were some of the questions that came up from some of the kids, if you can remember.
00:10:49
Speaker
It was actually like, it was really simple. That group of, but it's a beautiful cohort of kids. He's really lucky to be in that year level. I always, I love that group. I taught them for two years and I just think, yeah, they're fabulous. And they were so understanding and they were all just a bit confused about how, you know, the energy, his energy levels could drop and how we talked about lollies for him and biscuits where he's medicine and that he needed those to be able to continue to be physical and play and exercise with all of the other kids. But, you know, talking to them like that, they were really good and they were always very caring for him and checking in with him and making sure that he felt okay. We talked about some of the things that they might notice, like if he looked a bit pale in the face or if he was feeling dizzy, that that was something, you know, they had to come to me or to get another teacher for help.
00:11:41
Speaker
um so that we could do a finger prick. And they were always very patient as well. So if, you know, I said to them, there might be times where I need to sit and help Harvey. So I need you guys to be able to work by yourself or be able to, you know, go on with something while you're waiting. And they, yeah, were very, very understanding and very accommodating, which was really nice.
00:12:03
Speaker
Don't ignore the four. The four early warning signs of type 1 diabetes, excessive thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss and extreme fatigue. If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms, don't wait. Get checked by a healthcare care professional. Early detection and treatment are key to managing type 1 diabetes effectively.
00:12:30
Speaker
And I remember when Harvey used to go up to the nurse to get his injections and you would always buddy him up with someone to go up to so they didn't sort of feel, which I think was a really great strategy. So you didn't feel alone. But I also think that it was also then kind of creating some allies for him. Like just, I don't know if that was your strategy.
00:12:53
Speaker
Yeah, I think he quite enjoyed showing, yeah, no, I think he enjoyed showing other kids, like he enjoyed doing the fingerprint, like when he first came back, we did a fingerprint and we showed the other kids how it worked and they were all really interested in that and he really enjoyed having that, I guess that power to, to share with everybody so that they could understand a little bit better. And yeah, I just feel for him, like it's, it's a lifelong thing that he's got to live with and I think he's doing such a good job like even in grade one he was doing such a great job of managing himself that having those children that he can share with and lean on when he needs to I thought that was really important.
Communication and Teacher Selection
00:13:31
Speaker
Yeah that that year kind of felt really weak in terms of of a parent I felt quite supported. I think I only cried maybe like five times to you. um I don't think I've cried yet this year so I'm doing better and
00:13:45
Speaker
But was there anything that you sort of thought that would have been helpful to know from families or the hospital or? The hardest thing is really just understanding the serves and, you know, like you guys do all this maths in the morning about what they should eat and when they should eat. And I think the hardest thing as a teacher was knowing, you know, what they're eating. And that that takes a lot of time to learn and understand that what things are going to send them high, what things are going to keep them stable. um So I think it's that education around the eating, which the hospital does the management side of things, so how to treat a hypo, how to but how to do the tests and all that sort of thing. But as because we're not really in charge of setting their food, we don't really know that much about the food that's going to you know make the most effect on them. So I think
00:14:40
Speaker
You know, as a teacher, it's always good to have, like we always say when they come back to school, to have very clear labeled snack boxes. So like your fruit, have your snack, have your lunch in clearly labeled bags. Cause you guys have done all the maths in the morning about what he should be eating at what times. But I guess, you know, I've always thought that part was a little bit tricky for me, not really knowing.
00:15:03
Speaker
especially because I'm the one that's doing the test before meal times that you know he might be sitting at a 16 and then he's got a sandwich to eat. And this was before insulin injections, for example. So you never know whether or not you should swap things around. or And it's hard because you don't want to be calling the parents all day, every day either. So you want to be able to have a bit. But yeah, that's just one thing that I always found a bit tricky. But yeah, you don't you know you want to have that communication as much as possible. but you guys also need to be able to get on with your lives when the kids are at school, so. Do you kind of go, oh, because of like this scenario that you think that this teacher would be a better fit, do you also kind of factor into stuff like that sometimes or not really? Just everybody should be able to do it anyway. I mean, you know, we don't, we try not to hand pick teachers, but you do want to make sure that it's somebody that's comfortable as well, because, you know, not everybody is comfortable doing a finger prick or
00:16:01
Speaker
you know, they might not be comfortable in their own management. um I know, you know, sometimes you have to step up and you have to do it, but yeah, it was for us, it was about making sure that the teacher that was going to be taking him was going to be happy and comfortable in doing those sorts of things, which, you know, they all were. And then, yeah, from there, we just kind of put the grades together. Is there anything that you think that schools could do to improve on helping like children? i mean I suppose every school is kind of different. I am like, I'm very lucky. Obviously, I mentioned earlier, we're quite supported here by our leadership team. And Tracy is very proactive. You know, as soon as we got the email, she was straight on to talking to me and making a bit of a plan with me and seeing if I needed anything. And um when I had the other students as well, it was about if I needed that extra support, she was able to allocate aids. And I think that's really the main thing. It's making sure that you've got a support it
00:16:59
Speaker
supportive leadership team that's going to be able to help teachers when they do have a student that's diagnosed, making sure that they're feeling comfortable, but also properly trained um and that there's those processes because it is it is really hard to manage. So it's really important that the school has processes that go across all year levels and it's, you know, the whole staff is informed and has that training of what they should be looking out for and they know what the child looks like.
00:17:28
Speaker
what sort of signs to be looking out for in the yard and what, you know, what the plan is so that, yeah, they can follow through if anything were to go wrong. um So the main thing is, yeah, so the Hypokit having big bag of jelly beans, having it, Harvey's one was portable, so it had like a little bag strap, which was great because we could move it like it wasn't just Yes, it it didn't just sit in the classroom. If we went out to PE, it came with us to PE. e If we went to, on an excursion or if we went to another classroom, he would just chuck it on his shoulder and take it with him. And we knew that, you know, if he had a hypo during a specialist class, he could be treated then and there. And it didn't have to, you know, it didn't have to come running back to the classroom to get anything. um So portable bag, um making sure you have plenty of jelly beans, biscuits, all those sorts of things. But then also in the classroom,
00:18:21
Speaker
It's also good to have a separate stash. So like juice box, milk as well um can be a good one. Just in case like, you know, if they've had a hypo and they're not hungry, it's um sometimes a better option. um But I always found juice boxes were a good one because they get them up quicker. So, you know, if they've had a big drop, like a, you know, a two or something and you know that they're about to go out and do something physical, that juice box can be better because we can get them up a little bit
Reintegration and Reflections
00:18:48
Speaker
quicker.
00:18:48
Speaker
um and manage it a bit quicker instead of doing the three jelly beans and then three more in, what is it, 15, is it 15 minutes? Yeah, but it's been a while. Yeah, like i I did find having those sorts of things was good. um In the past we've had, I don't remember if they still have it, but in the past we had multiple packs. So I know we used to have one big one in the classroom, a portable one, and then one in the first aid room. Yeah, and then I think also they need to bring in um like their finger pricking,
00:19:19
Speaker
kit. um It's good to have two of those to bring in that so that you know that there the school's well stocked and you're making it well stocked so that you're not having to do it all the time as well. Like if you want to show up with a 10 pack of juice boxes and a huge bag of jelly beans, then you know that it's done and we just let you know when we run out I guess that's just the main thing. It's getting contact with the school as soon as you guys are able to, as long as, you know, as soon as you're ready and comfortable and and just trust that the school put things in place to make sure that they're ready to welcome the students back as well. And, you know, that communication is so important. And, yeah, the hospitals are amazing as well in the training and the information that they they provide. And it's, yeah, scary, I can imagine, would be terrifying sending them back after that initial diagnosis. but
00:20:08
Speaker
Yeah, I think the quicker they get back to school, the better it is for everybody. It gives you guys a bit of a break so you can take a breath and also they can return to a bit more normalcy as well. Well, Steph, I've really appreciated the catch up. We haven't, we don't really get to, we wave at each other across the yard nowadays, but, and then just also that reflection, I guess it was, it's good to see sort of, I know that I felt that you kind of played a really key role in the early stages of Harvey's diagnosis.
00:20:37
Speaker
and in helping to kind of set us up in a really positive way. And so I guess that's why I kind of asked you to have a chat because I sort of thought your voice would be really important for others to, you know, kind of understand that, yeah, it can be a really positive experience and and these are some of the things that you can do in order to who ensure that they are. So thank you so much for your time.
00:21:00
Speaker
No, thank you. I hope I've been helpful. I think you have, and I'm sure that people will get will get some value out of it. say So thank you again, Steph, and thank you to everybody for listening to this week's episode of the Type 1 Club, and we look forward to the next episode.
00:21:19
Speaker
Thank you for tuning in to the Type 1 Club podcast. We hope you enjoyed today's episode and gained some valuable insights. If you like what you heard, be sure to subscribe to our podcast on all the platforms so you never miss an episode. We also appreciate it if you could leave us a rating and review. It really helps us to reach more listeners just like yourselves. For more updates, behind the scene content, and to join the conversation further, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, the Type 1 Foundation, or visit our website, type1foundation.com.au.
00:21:54
Speaker
Thanks again for listening and we will see you next time on the Type 1 Club. are