An Examination of Educational Policies for Students with Type 1 Diabetes in Catholic School Boards

Résumé

With 1 in 300 children having diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is one of the most common chronic illnesses affecting school age children (Kelo, Martikainen & Eriksson, 2011; Kucera & Sullivan, 2011; Lawrence, Cummings, Pacaud, Lynk & Metzger, 2015). If not managed properly, T1D can drastically affect a student’s ability to experience academic success. Diabetes Canada, formerly known as the Canadian Diabetes Association, has a set of guidelines that they recommend each school board incorporate into their policies for the management of T1D. The authors analyzed fifteen Ontario Catholic school boards’ policies pertaining to T1D to determine if the policies address Diabetes Canada’s guidelines. Out of the fifteen school boards analyzed, only four school boards had a T1D policy. A policy analysis was then conducted on the four policies to determine whether the policies met the guidelines set out by Diabetes Canada. The four policies were found to be lacking in the areas of educating staff about T1D and assisting students during hypoglycemic episodes. It is recommended that a standardized Ministry policy be developed that addresses the guidelines outlined by Diabetes Canada.