Your Rights, One Voice: Kevin’s Story

Sandy of Encinitas, California, needed some help on behalf of her son Kevin, a seventh grader. Kevin, who has type 1 diabetes, had a 504 Plan in elementary school, but it didn’t carry over to his new school. He needed a new 504 Plan to ensure that he would be treated fairly, stay medically safe and have the same access to education as his peers in middle school.

In October 2015, Sandy met with the counselor and a few of Kevin’s teachers at the school. They denied Kevin a 504 Plan because his grades were “too good” and said that a 504 Plan was only needed for students with learning problems. Instead, they set up an individualized health plan (IHP) for Kevin. But Sandy knew that an IHP would not fully protect him.

Why did it matter which plan was set up for Kevin?

 An IHP is an agreement that outlines medical care for students with special health care needs. But a 504 Plan includes extra protections for people with disabilities. Diabetes is considered a disability under federal law. 504 Plans also ensure that students with disabilities receive the accommodations that they need at school, as well as equal access to school-related activities like field trips and extracurriculars.

Sandy contacted the American Diabetes Association® for help.

 One of the Association’s Legal Advocates confirmed that Kevin was protected under federal law. He gave Sandy resources to help, including a sample letter that outlined the rights of students with diabetes. Sandy felt that the school’s administrators did not fully understand laws that protect students with diabetes. She used the sample letter, added information about Kevin and sent it to the school principal. If the letter didn’t work, Sandy was prepared to file a complaint with the school district’s superintendent. But the school agreed to meet with her again.

Sandy took some helpful suggestions from the Association’s legal advocate in preparing for this meeting.

 Kevin would be attending this school for two years and then move on to high school within the same district, so she wanted to establish a good relationship with the administrators. To encourage friendly and constructive conversation, Sandy brought coffee and snacks. To help her feel confident, she also took along another parent who had more experience with the issue and understood the laws about school and diabetes.

The result?

 A 504 Plan was set up for Kevin that will cover him through high school. Sandy is glad that she fought for Kevin’s rights and knows that her efforts will also help other students with diabetes down the road.

“A lot of people were helped. Thanks to the American Diabetes Association, the resources they provided and the other parents who encouraged me. The help from the Association’s legal advocacy program was vital, and having that help at no charge was amazing. As a side note, we just sent a small donation to the Association as a thank you.”

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The American Diabetes Association leads the effort to prevent and eliminate discrimination against people with diabetes at school, at work and in other parts of daily life. If you need help, call 1-800-DIABETES or visit http://ift.tt/1zCIiW2.

Through our nationwide Safe at School program, the Association is dedicated to making sure that all children with diabetes are medically safe at school and have the same educational opportunities as their peers. Visit our Safe at School website for information and resources.

Give the gift of fairness — donate now to help people with diabetes facing discrimination, just like Kevin.

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Transcript: Twitter Chat with Aviva Goldfarb To Discuss Her New Cookbook

Twitter Chat Transcript cdiabetesinfo Hi everyone! Welcome to tonight’s chat w/@DiabetesINFL and Aviva Goldfarb @thescramble #DiabetesINFL cdiabetesinfo Starting now! Join @DiabetesINFL @thescramble @primetimeparent @AmDiabetesBooks for The Six O’Clock Meal Planner #chat #DiabetesINFL diabetesinfl Good Evening! Welcome to tonight’s chat w/@DiabetesINFL and Aviva Goldfarb @CDiabetesinfo @primetimeparent @thescramble #DiabetesINFL diabetesinfl Tonight we’ll be chatting about w/Aviva Goldfarb @thescramble, CEO, cookbook author, meal planner &Today Show contributor!! #DiabetesINFL primetimeparent @DiabetesINFL @CDiabetesInfo @thescramble So glad to be here #diabetesinfl diabetesinfl Special shout out to #DiabetesINFL @tamirossrd @cravesomehealth @maureensrn @lorishemek @amypcampbell @diabetessisters @CraveSomeHealth diabetesinfl We are so fortunate to have with us @mahodorowicz, @primetimeparent @CDiabetesInfo #DiabetesINFL bridgettxrd Happy to be joining in! #diabetesinfl amypcampbell Great to be here tonight! #diabetesINFL diabetesinfl Also so happy to have #DiabetesINFL @BarbRuhsRD @AskDrBev @EatRightMama @BridgetTxRD @dentistmel @NCESDietitian @corlansky @christychomp diabetesinfl We will be giving away (5) copies of The Six O’Clock Meal Planner tonight so Tweet w/us #DiabetesINFL thescramble So glad to be part of the chat about my favorite topic–meal planning! It’s the key 2 making family dinners happen more often #DiabetesINFL diabetesinfl More #DiabetesINFL to follow @nutritionjill @BrilliantEating @fiberfriendly @LaurenPincusRD @LisaCantkier @maggiemoon_RD @DiabeticPsych diabetesinfl @thescramble We are so glad we can have you here with us to [...]

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Sleep Loss May Be Tied to Raised Diabetes Risk in Teen Boys

Title: Sleep Loss May Be Tied to Raised Diabetes Risk in Teen Boys
Category: Health News
Created: 2/13/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/16/2016 12:00:00 AM

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Valentine's Day Can Still Be Sweet for Loved Ones With Diabetes

Title: Valentine's Day Can Still Be Sweet for Loved Ones With Diabetes
Category: Health News
Created: 2/11/2016 12:00:00 AM
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Health Tip: If You're a Diabetes Caregiver

Title: Health Tip: If You're a Diabetes Caregiver
Category: Health News
Created: 2/12/2016 12:00:00 AM
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Twitter Chat with Aviva Goldfarb To Discuss Her New Cookbook

Twitter Chat: Tweet Chat with Aviva Goldfarb to discuss her new cookbook, "The Six O'Clock Scramble Meal Planner: A Year of Quick, Delicious Meals to Help You Prevent and Manage Diabetes."

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Living with Diabetes in College: Eddie

For young adults living with diabetes, preparing for college can be a difficult time. Managing diabetes while trying to make sense of a new world, social network and expectations can be especially challenging. You’re not alone! There are many resources in place to help support this transition.

The following are stories shared by College Diabetes Network (CDN) Students, involved in CDN’s Student Advisory Committee (SAC), about their experiences heading off to college, and navigating life on campus, with diabetes.

The College Diabetes Network provides programs for young adults with diabetes to help make their college experience safer and more successful. The American Diabetes Association is working with CDN to help further this goal.

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Name: Eddie

School: Boston College, Class of 2016

I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at a young age. Although my college transition didn’t have too many obstacles, for others it may present many difficult changes and intimidating environments. For students living with type 1 diabetes, many of these experiences hold unique consequences, consequences other students may not be able to relate to. Diabetes management during finals, food intake, alcohol consumption are just some of the examples we have to consider.

I applied exclusively to colleges close to home, as I wanted to stay in Boston and continue my care at the Joslin Diabetes Center. This way, I figured I would have easy access to all the medical resources I might need while living at college.

I also had a very strong support group. My mother and endocrinologist were very helpful, as they made sure I was fully stocked with everything I needed at school on a consistent basis. The Dexcom with Bluetooth and Share changed my life; I consistently feel comfortable about my blood glucose monitoring wherever I am.

In the past I’ve had the privilege of working with numerous organizations including the Association, JDRF, Camp Joslin and Beyond Type 1. I’ve had numerous roles, ranging from blogging and public speaking, to fundraising and leadership. And now serving as CDN chapter leader, I look forward to raising more awareness about this disease.

The CDN is a unique opportunity to link with the type 1 community on campus and to further increase campus awareness about diabetes. It’s incredible to have a community on campus with which you can discuss the trials of college, whether they are academic, personal or medical. My goal is to fuse the type 1 diabetes community with the larger type 2 community so people can be educated more about diabetes and how it affects us all.

If you live with diabetes or any other chronic condition, I would strongly recommend letting your roommates know about it, educating them and getting them involved. In addition to teaching them the basics, I show my roommates and friends everything. I explain where it all should be and how the math all works out. By now my closest friends know the blood glucose-testing and carb-counting drill well. In case of emergencies, they all know where to find and use glucagon kits. Even if I never have an emergency, it’s very important knowledge.

And still, everyone thinks my Dexcom is an iPod. I assure them it doesn’t play music.

I juggle many things on top of diabetes. I play lacrosse at school, which makes life a bit more difficult. Late practices can complicate my sleep schedule and blood sugars, so I do lose sleep on a regular basis. Learning how to balance everything has been difficult, but I’ve managed so far.

Diabetes management and anxiety can take a very significant toll on you — it’s something that needs to be addressed more than it is. Too seldom do we take the time to slow down and recognize that the management of our disease is difficult and extremely stressful. Our whole person, every element of our lives, can be dramatically affected by our relationship with our disease. To effectively manage diabetes, we need to identify how it worries us and how we might combat those concerns, especially in the college environment.

If you’re heading off to college, I would suggest moving slowly into everything new. It’ll be a tremendous experience, but don’t feel like you have to assimilate right away. Just because everyone else participates in some activities, especially those that involve alcohol consumption, doesn’t mean you have to dive in headfirst.

You can do more for yourself and your own well-being by practicing restraint. Finding others who practice the same restraint might help keep your spirits up.

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The College Diabetes Network (CDN) is a 501c3 non-profit organization, whose mission is to use the power of peers, access to resources, and grassroots leadership to fill the gaps experienced by young adults with diabetes and make their college experience safer and more successful. CDN’s vision is to empower young adults with diabetes to thrive in all of their personal, healthcare, and scholastic endeavors. CDN has over 80 campuses with 60+ affiliated chapters. Sign-up for more information here.

Diabetes Forecast magazine and the College Diabetes Network recently published a “Thrive Guide for Young Adults” with tips for doing college with diabetes. Visit diabetesforecast.org and diabetes.org for more information.

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