Changing roles and challenges for teachers of students with diabetes

With insulin dependent diabetes mellitus as one of the most common chronic conditions adversely affecting the health of children, it is likely that teachers will at some point encounter a child with diabetes in the classroom. While therapy for children with diabetes has improved since the advent of insulin in 1922, children with diabetes continue to have special needs at school. New research results indicate a role for teachers in helping to meet the special needs of children with diabetes. In this paper, current research regarding the interaction of children with diabetes and the formal educational environment is summarized, and the evolving role of teachers in the academic development of children with diabetes is discussed.