The Role of Behavioral Health Professionals
Social workers, guidance counselors, and other related professionals play an important role in the lives of students with diabetes, including providing important services related to mental health, behavioral support, academic success, crisis intervention, family communication, and more.
These services can be especially important for children with diabetes, a condition that can have a significant impact on their social and emotional wellbeing. Behavioral health professionals have unique training which equips them to effectively communicate and coordinate with families, school staff, and the child with diabetes in ways to best support their overall success.
A behavioral health professional’s role for children with diabetes may include:
- Helping to establish health care and accommodation plans. This includes the development and implementation of a Section 504 Plan, Individual Education Program (IEP), or other written accommodations plan.
- Being aware of and responding to the emotional and social needs of students.
- Promoting and encouraging independence and self-care consistent with the student’s ability, skill, maturity, and development as indicated in their Diabetes Medical Management Plan (DMMP) or provider’s orders.
- Educating and collaborating with other team members involved in the student’s care and education about the social-emotional needs of students with diabetes.
Emotional and Social Considerations
Students with diabetes must deal not only with the usual developmental issues of growing up, but also with learning to manage this chronic disease. Diabetes affects every facet of life, complicating the task of mastering typical developmental issues.
Some emotional and social challenges for students with diabetes include:
- Feeling self-conscious about diabetes and its management: Children and adolescents respond differently to having diabetes. Some are accepting and open to discussing it, others are embarrassed or resentful and may attempt to hide it. Be aware of the student’s feelings about having diabetes.
- Diabetes burnout: Children and adolescents with diabetes may burn out from the daily demands of diabetes self-management (called “diabetes burnout”). Students experiencing diabetes burnout may benefit from a temporary period of increased support and involvement by parents/guardians and school personnel to maintain their health while providing the needed respite from the burden of diabetes management.
- Other mental health challenges: Watch for signs of depression, anxiety, and disordered eating behaviors, such as unexplained weight loss and decline in academic performance. Depression is common among children and adolescents with diabetes. Additionally, students with diabetes are at risk for developing anxiety-provoking fear of hypoglycemia (called “fear of hypoglycemia”) and disordered eating behaviors, and school staff should be aware of this. Some students, particularly girls, may omit insulin or take less insulin than indicated as a quick way to lose weight, putting them at risk for hyperglycemia and ketoacidosis.
- Independence: One of the biggest challenges for students with diabetes is gradually becoming more independent from their parents/guardians. Yet, diabetes may compromise independence. Parental concerns about their child’s ability to perform self-care tasks and take responsibility for their diabetes may hinder the development of a child’s independence. The parents/guardians, who are ultimately responsible for their child’s wellbeing, may be reluctant to allow typical levels of independence in those who have not demonstrated their ability to take care of themselves properly. This parental concern can lead to increasing struggles with dependence, parent-child conflict, oppositional behavior, and rebellion.
- Family conflict: Diabetes can be a focal point for conflict within families. It is important to minimize diabetes-specific family conflict to promote optimal health and quality of life outcomes.
Behavioral Health Professional Resources
- The Rights of Students with Diabetes: What Behavioral Health Professionals Should Know: This resource provides an overview of legal protections for behavioral health professionals and how the law can be instrumental to supporting a child’s success.
- Helping the Student with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel: see pages 66 and 67 for guidance specific to school psychologists, guidance counselors, and social workers.
- Learn about legal considerations for children with diabetes, including:
Other Resources
- Find more Safe at School resources and guidance
- View state-specific legal protections or guidance
Need more information or have questions about your school’s legal obligations to provide diabetes care for children? Visit diabetes.org/safeatschool.
Families can also call 1-800-DIABETES (800-342-2383) or email AskAda@diabetes.org for assistance. While the ADA cannot represent or advocate on anyone's behalf, it offers tools and information to understand the legal rights of children with diabetes and practical solutions for addressing issues.
