Are children with type 1 diabetes safe at school? Examining parent perceptions
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Updated: Apr 23, 2026

A High-Throughput Multiplexed Screening for Type 1 Diabetes, Celiac Diseases, and COVID-19
Published on: July 5, 2022
Kimberly A Driscoll1, Lisa K Volkening2, Heidi Haro3
1Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
Objective:
To describe parent perceptions of children's diabetes care at school including: availability of licensed health professionals; staff training; logistics of provision of care; and occurrence and treatment of hypo- and hyperglycemia; and to examine parents' perceptions of their children's safety and satisfaction in the school environment.
Research Design And Methods:
A survey was completed by parents of children with type 1 diabetes from permissive (trained, non-medical school personnel permitted to provide diabetes care; N = 237) and non-permissive (only licensed health care professionals permitted to provide diabetes care; N = 198) states.
Results:
Most parents reported that schools had nurses available for the school day; teachers and coaches should be trained; nurses, children, and parents frequently provided diabetes care; and hypo- and hyperglycemia occurred often. Parents in permissive states perceived children to be as safe and were as satisfied with care as parents in non-permissive states.
Conclusions:
Training non-medical staff will probably maximize safety of children with diabetes when a school nurse is not available.
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