Middle School Diabetes Activities

[Jeanine]

HELP!

I have 7th and 8th grade students with IDDM, who are having some adolescent related diabetes management problems. Some of the kids have been diagnosed for a long time, others within the last year, and some in-between.

Even though we are in metropolitan NJ, there are no outside support groups that I can find. The kids have such busy schedules, that when groups start, no one shows up or continues attending when it's in the evening.

I have decided to start a support group in school (with a guidance counselor) and need some help with ideas and activities that are pertinent to middle schoolers. I have some activities from an old camp nursing book (1994), but the changes in diabetes management have come so far since then.

If you have any resources or can give me some ideas where to go, I would be greatful!

[nightmare, RN]

How about some sort of carb counting game/group activity.Help them learn about controlling their intake and insulin dosages?

[Jolie, BSN]

Do yo have access to healthcare databases thru your school system or local public library? (CINAHL, EBSCO, etc.)

I did a paper last year on diabetes in middle schoolers and found a wealth of information in professional journals via these databases.

If I have time later, I'll try to access my paper and post some of the references I used.

[Jolie, BSN]

Hayes-Bohn, R., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Mellin, A., & Patterson, J. (2004, May). Adolescent and Parent Assessments of Diabetes Mellitus Management at School. Journal of School Health, 74(5), 166-169. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition database.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

www.puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com

www.diabetes.org (they have pages for Pedi patients with games, etc)

Google for "juvenile diabetes". It is an antiquated term but I did find some interesting sites once.

If you can get hold of plastic food you can have games that show portion control, carb counting and how to eat like everyone else (sort of). Buy Lacrilube (water based gel for eyes). When put in the eye it is a good demo of how to get around with decreased vision. Good luck. This is a great idea on your part.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

I work on a pediatric endocrine floor, and I know there are a couple books we give the teens that are aimed at teenage diabetics to help them understand IDDM.

[frann]

Wow that's great that you want to help them.

You must be a special school nurse.

I'm the mother of a type 1 child/RN also. she's in 7 grade.

It is very very hard to get support groups together.

we are having limited success here in VA.

I'm not really sure why people don't want to participate.

but we usually have the same 5 people each time.

I don't really think you will have much success with a carb counting meeting.

My dd says that she just wants to get together with her D friends and do things together.

What about a activity where the support group goes to play lazer tag.

They just want to be like anyother kid. ask the kids what they want to do?

maybe you could get all the middle school kids together?

I recently started my dd in therapy-its hard enough being a teenager, but throw in D and you can have real troubles.

I have a huge support group on line at CWD. If you go over there and ask the other parents maybe they would have some suggestions on getting group together.

childrenwithdiabetes.com

Good luck

[dansingrn]

Wow that's great that you want to help them.

You must be a special school nurse.

I'm the mother of a type 1 child/RN also. she's in 7 grade.

It is very very hard to get support groups together.

we are having limited success here in VA.

I'm not really sure why people don't want to participate.

but we usually have the same 5 people each time.

I don't really think you will have much success with a carb counting meeting.

My dd says that she just wants to get together with her D friends and do things together.

What about a activity where the support group goes to play lazer tag.

They just want to be like anyother kid. ask the kids what they want to do?

maybe you could get all the middle school kids together?

I recently started my dd in therapy-its hard enough being a teenager, but throw in D and you can have real troubles.

I have a huge support group on line at CWD. If you go over there and ask the other parents maybe they would have some suggestions on getting group together.

childrenwithdiabetes.com

Good luck

I agree with this post. I am a pediatric NP in diabetes. Support groups are very hard to arrange for a variety of reasons. Kids with DM do not want to get together to do anything having to do with DM. They like being together doing whatever kids their age like to do, and the "support" comes from seeing other kids who face the same challenges and understand what they deal with every day. They don't necessarily want to talk about it. We see this every year at diabetes camp...they love to be around each other because everyone there has to check BGs, count carbs, take a bolus or shot at meals, treat lows, etc. etc. etc. They just do all those things while they are doing cool camp activities.

At school, their diabetes makes them "different" (having to go to the nurse, take insulin, etc.). When they are at camp or with many others with DM, those tasks are completely routine for everyone. That alone is supportive for young teens. Once you get out the food labels and measuring cups to do a carb counting exercise, they do what all middle schoolers do with activities like that...they roll their eyes at you and groan!!

Kudos to you for taking such an interest in these kids. Keep at it, be their friend, ask rather than assume how you can best help them - advocate for them and they will trust you, I promise! Much luck to you!