Diabetes Association 504 Plan: Fill & Download for Free

Your doc and your parents should complete a care plan outlining your medical needs and the purpose of the device, and any other needs. The standard document used for this is a Section 504 Plan - and the law REQUIRES EVERY SCHOOL and teacher to comply with it; but besides the 504 itself, there’s a DMMP (Diabetes Medical Management Plan) and an IEP (Individualised Education Plan). You probably only NEED the DMMP - and that is generally incorporated into the 504 if that is also needed. Just what you need is up to your family and your doc - but the school (and all of its teachers) should be on notice to stop singling you out. Here’s a page from the ADA (American Diabetes Association) that outlines the plans and their use: Written Care Plans

I would think diabetics falls with the “other health impaired” realm associated with a 504 plan rather than an IEP. ESE exams are taken by students for IEP purposes. I do not have personal experience with diabetes, but due to the nature of child support required potentially, I would consider an IEP plan rather than a 504 plan dependent on the level of care decided. There are individual health plans. IEP’s require ongoing progress monitoring by law and a 504 plan does not.

I am not sure from your profile how much time you have with this client. Being a teen is hard enough. Being a teen with a disease that forces you to be different than your friends is a disaster. There are some things that you can do with this young man, but the boy’s family or legal guardians are going to have to be involved.I assume he has a Diabetes Medical Management Plan. The family needs to take that plan to the school and discuss it with the school nurse, his teachers, and other staff that are supervising him at school. I don’t expect that they will have any real control over his behavior, but they are the only ones who can help him for about a third of his day. Make sure they are aware of his needs. In the United States, someone should work with the school to set up a 504 plan. The American Diabetes Association has a sample form here http://main.diabetes.org/dorg/PDFs/Advocacy/Discrimination/504-plan.pdf.Most schools put the lunch menu online. The parents either need to use that to help plan his insulin use or provide lunch from home.He also needs a backpack checklist of all the supplies he should have with him including blood sugar monitor, testing strips, lancets, spare batteries for the monitor, antiseptic wipes, water, and glucose tablets. Make sure he has a “hypo box” in the nurse’s office in case he becomes hypoglycemic. And make sure he wears a medical id bracelet every day.The family also needs to share responsibility for his care at home.He needs to record his glucose levels every time he tests, but an adult in the family needs to go over that with him. This will help him identify which foods may cause his blood sugar to spike. Of course, for that to be effective someone needs to keep a record of what they ate at every meal.The parents need to learn to praise approximations. Don’t expect perfect behavior. Praise the boy for improving his diet and getting closer to his goals. Adjust your expectations as he improves.Make changes as a family. Don’t expect him to stay compliant if he is the only one in the family eating healthy.Discuss what kind of physical activity he enjoys and encourage his involvement in that.Teach the family how to recognize the signs of depression and what they should do to help adjust.One last thing, be aware of the apps available to help diabetics stay on their diet. Find one that you think he can use and show him how.