Type 1 diabetic and after school sports

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Specializes in Retired - ER, School Health, Quality, Case Managem.

Looking for help. MA middle school diabetic student playing after school sports. According to ADA and 504, what is a schools obligation for care of an insulin dependent diabetic student during after school programs? Mom is stating that there needs to be a medical person available to administer glucagon, should it be needed. In MA, glucagon cannot be delegated so it would have to be a nurse. I'm wondering what other schools do, especially MA. How about away games? Thanks!!

Looking for help. MA middle school diabetic student playing after school sports. According to ADA and 504, what is a schools obligation for care of an insulin dependent diabetic student during after school programs? Mom is stating that there needs to be a medical person available to administer glucagon, should it be needed. In MA, glucagon cannot be delegated so it would have to be a nurse. I'm wondering what other schools do, especially MA. How about away games? Thanks!!

I'm thinking this would have to be addressed in her 504. I think it is unrealistic to expect that a nurse can attend every home and away game. Won't mom be at most of the games to administer in an emergency? What about glucose tabs?

Specializes in School nursing.

I have a few students with Type-1 Diabetes that play sports. They each have a travel kit with glucose tabs and plan made to check their blood sugar before and after a practice and game.

I do not pack/send glucagon and parents are aware of this, as I am not present (every parent I've worked with prefers this if I'm not there). I do, however, train needed coaches on anything else diabetes-related and review an emergency action plan. At least 1 parent attends every game.

I haven't had this in my district but have been contacted by other local districts seeing if I wanted to work after school as a 1:1 Nurse for an athlete with diabetes or epilepsy. By law the school cannot exclude the child from school activities or require a parent to be there so if they need a Nurse onsite per their IEP or 504, the school pays an RN to sit at practice and go to games when a parent in unable. I have a friend who went o basketball practice everyday for 2 months last year for 1 student. Mom and Dad could go to games but not practices so the school hired her to be the student's nurse for sports.

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