If your child has recently been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D), you probably have a lot of questions, concerns, and anxieties about what their treatment plan will look like going forward.
It may help to know that this autoimmune condition is manageable. As a parent or caregiver, you may be wondering how you can help your child learn to care for themselves while going to school, playing with friends, and having all the typically happy, carefree experiences of childhood.
Don’t worry too much. Managing T1D in kids involves daily management tasks, but life with this condition still leaves plenty of room for your child to enjoy the day-to-day routine of their siblings, friends, and classmates.
Here’s what you need to know about caring for a child with T1D at home and at school, along with what the current best practices are for diabetes care in kids.
Taking care of a child with T1D can be a daunting task — especially in the beginning after diagnosis when you’re learning lots of new information and trying to figure out what works best for your child.
According to Nemours Children’s Health, there are four main parts to a diabetes care plan for children:
The psychosocial side of life with diabetes, or keeping an eye on mental and emotional health, is also an important part of a child’s management plan. Kids with chronic health conditions can have trouble making friends, being confident in their bodies, and feeling supported — not isolated — at home and at school.
There are many local and online communities offering peer support for kids with T1D, which can be vital in helping your child feel they are not alone in living with this chronic condition. Research from 2018 shows that kids with T1D value close friendships where there is support and understanding about their condition.
Peer support groups can also teach your child creative ways to manage their own diabetes, introduce them to new friendships, and help caregivers better understand how to support their child. (As always, remember to monitor your child’s online activities and make sure virtual groups are safe for your child to interact with.)
Several groups like the American Diabetes Association (ADA), JDRF, and Children with Diabetes (CWD) can assist your family with finding people who “get it,” both in person and online.
You can be diagnosed with T1D at any age.
Although this autoimmune condition was once known as juvenile diabetes, that name is outdated and does not reflect the reality that kids, teens, and adults can all be diagnosed with T1D.
The CDC still reports that the peak age is between 13 and 14 years old. Yet adults are just as likely to be diagnosed with this condition as children, 2017 research suggests. When this happens, it is known as latent autoimmune diabetes in adults, commonly referred to as LADA.
Of course, no matter the diagnosis age, diabetes is a lifelong illness. So even people who receive a diagnosis in childhood will need to learn how to manage their condition as an adult.
In general, the treatment plans for kids and adults with T1D are the same:
That said, the ADA emphasizes that “children are not little adults.” That means diabetes treatment plans should reflect the differences in anatomy and physical development in kids and adults.
As kids grow into adolescents and go through puberty, their diabetes care plan should reflect how their changing body responds to things like exercise, sleep schedules, and diet.
Though many people with diabetes choose to take insulin via injection and monitor their blood sugars with a fingerstick meter, many opt for an insulin pump and CGM technology.
Some new technologies have introduced a few other ways to do this, including insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors:
Both of these devices can make diabetes management more flexible, without a need to do fingersticks or take insulin by injection as you’d have to do otherwise. But there are pros and cons to these technologies that you should keep in mind.
Many parents of kids with diabetes share concerns about trusting their child’s care to other people. But unless you choose to homeschool, this is an important step in managing your child’s condition.
Both the ADA and the JDRF offer guides for working with your child’s school, which include:
All federally funded schools are required to develop a 504 plan for kids with diabetes. These can vary for each child, but generally, they may include information on:
The 504 plan will help the school provide the best care for your child during school hours and ensures that your child will have access to everything they may need to be healthy over the course of a school day.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition that can be managed. But it does involve active attention and management every day. Aside from long-term diabetes complications that can impact the eyes, nerves, heart, kidneys, the impact of low or high blood sugars can be dangerous if not treated. This is a lifelong condition that cannot be cured or reversed, although many live long healthy lives with T1D.
Science does not know the exact causes of T1D. But researchers believe it may be inherited through specific genes that cause a predisposition to the disease. A virus or other environmental factor may then trigger an immune system response that affects the pancreas’ ability to make insulin. Not everyone with these genes develops T1D, but nothing you or your child did “wrong” caused the condition.
For the most part, kids with T1D can eat a fairly typical diet as long as you help them manage their portions and carbohydrate amounts. Fresh veggies, low sugar fruits, lean protein, low fat dairy, and whole grains are all nutritious foods for kids with T1D.
While there may be food limitations, most diabetes experts advise that complete restriction isn’t the best approach. Allowing your child to enjoy treats in a reasonable manner, like a piece of cake on their birthday, is important for their mental and emotional health. You may simply need to plan ahead for those types of indulgences, making sure your child monitors their blood sugar levels and takes the appropriate amount of insulin.
Type 1 diabetes isn’t an easy condition to manage, especially at first, thanks to a fairly steep learning curve. As a parent, you’ll need to learn how to maintain your child’s blood sugar levels, administer insulin, incorporate diabetes care into your family life, and keep your child safe no matter where they are.
The good news, though, is that there’s no shortage of resources for caregivers and kids with diabetes. Aside from the management tools that exist, diabetes experts encourage people within the diabetes community to find local or online peer support so they don’t feel alone in life with diabetes.
Last medically reviewed on June 16, 2022
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Current Version
Jun 16, 2022
Written By
Sarah Bradley
Edited By
Mike Hoskins
Medically Reviewed By
Mia Armstrong, MD
Copy Edited By
Chris Doka
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