Type 1 Diabetes Awareness in Schools

Type 1 Diabetes Awareness in Schools

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is often misunderstood, with many people confusing it with type 2 diabetes or assuming it’s caused by eating too much sugar. This stigma can have a significant impact on young people living with T1D, leading to feelings of isolation, shame and a fear of judgment from peers. It’s important to understand the impact of these myths, to be open to learning more about T1D and working to be an ally for everyone in the diabetes community.

Type 1 Diabetes: The Basics

Type 1 diabetes, or T1D, is an autoimmune condition involving the islet cells in the pancreas. In short, the immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells after a trigger, most commonly in childhood. This results in the person with T1D not being able to produce insulin themselves, resulting in them relying on insulin therapy (i.e. multiple injections of insulin a day or wearing an insulin pump).

A good metaphor for insulin’s role in the body is a fuel regulator. Once they are digested into glucose, the carbohydrates you consume in your food act as an energy source or “fuel” for your cells. Insulin is the hormone that regulates how much or how little “fuel” enters the cell.

What Happens When Your Blood Glucose is Out of Range?

People living with type one diabetes need to administer all of their insulin themselves, meaning they need to be aware of their blood glucose levels and how insulin works to determine how much or how little insulin to administer to keep themselves alive and healthy.

Having a blood glucose level outside of our target range (typically between 4.0 – 10.0 mmol/L) can really affect us, physiologically as well as mentally. Everyone’s symptoms are different, yet commonly we may get thirsty and tired (as well as a little grumpy!) when our blood sugar is high, and when our blood sugar is low, we may be hungry, shaky, pale and have difficulty concentrating.

4 Common Misconceptions that Lead to Stigma & Their Impact

Stigma stems from misconceptions or a lack of knowledge about a topic, and in the case of diabetes, these misconceptions impact the social lives of youth living with T1D while also limiting opportunities. Let’s take a look at a few common myths about T1D and why it’s important to challenge them:

1. Myth 1: Diabetes is contagious.

What this implies: That being around someone with diabetes can somehow “spread” the condition, like a cold or a virus. This leads to unnecessary fear, isolation, and discrimination, especially in school or group settings.

Reality: T1D is an autoimmune disease meaning the pancreas attacks the insulin producing cells and therefore cannot be passed on.

Impact: This myth can create fear-based stigma, causing people with diabetes, especially kids to feel isolated or treated unfairly. It also distracts from real education and awareness around what diabetes actually is and how it’s managed.

“After being diagnosed with T1D my siblings right away told all our neighbourhood friends, and when we were all outside they all said that I was contagious and ran away screaming. From then on they stayed at least 6 feet away from me and would always make comments or run away screaming. I eventually stopped trying to play and hangout and spent most of my time alone.” ~ Iman

Myth 2: Eating too much sugar causes diabetes

What this implies: It’s the person living with T1D (or their parent’s) fault they have diabetes

Reality: Type 1 diabetes can be chalked up to a variety of UNCONTROLLABLE factors, including genetics, unknown factors and environmental triggers. It is NOT the anyone’s fault they developed diabetes.

Impact: This myth can cause folks living with T1D (and their families) to feel guilt or shame about living with the condition and potentially hiding it from others and not asking for support when they need it.

“When I was in kindergarten (3 years old), one of my friends walked around the entire classroom handing out invitations to their birthday party. They invited every single person except for me. As basically a toddler, I went home crying, but little Janica decided I never wanted anyone to be excluded like that and made cards for my birthday multiple months away and started handwriting individual cards for each person. My mom later contacted the parents of my friend and discovered they didn’t invite me because of my diabetes – they were afraid being around that much sugar would not be safe for me. I fully believe situations like this throughout my life have made me a more inclusive person – I am always looking out for people who are generally excluded by people for being ‘weird’ or ‘different.’ ” ~ Janica

Myth 3: People with type 1 diabetes can’t eat sugar.

What this implies: We need to have a different diet than everyone else, effectively “othering” us

Reality: We can eat whatever we want, as long as we dose properly for it (i.e. administer insulin).

Impact: This myth can lead to judgement, unhelpful comments, or even policing what we eat. It contributes to misinformation and stigma, and makes our social situations (like Halloween. Birthdays and other holidays) uncomfortable. It also oversimplifies a condition that is already complex to handle.

“In middle school I was a major science geek, and my science teacher at the time offered anyone who could make a salt crystal over the winter break a chocolate bar as a reward. I was the only student to take the offer seriously, yet she refused to give me the promised reward and gave me a sticker instead. I felt angry and frustrated at her lack of understanding, as I was being treated differently than my classmates without it being warranted.” ~ Sophie

Myth 4: Diabetes makes us incapable/limited throughout our lives.

What this implies: We are weaker than others or unable to take care of ourselves or follow our dreams, for example, Iman was told she couldn’t attend summer and March Break camps because of perceived liability due to her diabetes.

Reality: People living with diabetes are able to live full and fulfilling lives and pursue almost any career they are passionate about. There may be the occasional ups and downs, but this does NOT limit us.

Impact: When stigma like this persists, you can see visible judgment from those around you, and OTHERS try to limit what you can actually do.

“When stigma like this persists, it can come from anyone,family, friends, parents, or teachers,who have seen me as fragile. For example, people have questioned whether I should pursue certain academic opportunities, play sports, or even move out for university, assuming I am incapable of managing on my own because I need support for my diabetes. This is completely untrue – my abilities are not defined by my condition, and I am fully capable of pursuing my goals independently.” ~ Sameeksha

How to Be a T1D Ally

JUST ASK!

First things first, it’s okay to ask questions! It is more harmful to make assumptions about somebody’s diabetes than to ask a clarifying question or two. If your assumptions are wrong about somebody’s diabetes, it can feel very discouraging to them, and could possibly even be deadly!

So if you need clarification on a certain aspect of somebody’s diabetes or how they manage it, it is usually much better to ask about it than to guess what the answer is, especially because diabetes can be very different from person to person.

Sophie shares that in her experience, people are often misinformed about what T1D is and what it means for her. She works mostly with pre-teens, and notices many of them have been taught that it is rude to ask questions to somebody with a disability. She shares that it’s totally the opposite, and Sophie makes sure to answer any questions that her kiddos have – in depth!

Start by checking in if it’s okay to ask a few questions, and as long as you are being respectful and kind, there is no harm in asking most people living with diabetes about our devices or what you can do to support us. Through being curious and genuine, some of the kids Sophie works with long term have become diabetes experts and know exactly what to do if someone’s blood sugars are high or low. This encourages them to be kinder humans to peers living with T1D, as well as others who live with a disability.

It’s All in the Little Things

For those living with T1D, simple actions mean so much to demonstrate understanding & build community. A few small things you can do to support the T1Ds in your life include:

• Carrying around a juice box or extra snacks – they are literally lifesavers! When your friend/family member/student experiences low blood sugar, carrying around some extra glucose can make a big difference.
   
  “Some of my friends carry around low snacks during the school day. If I ever run out of snacks in my diabetes bag, I can always trust them to have the extra to boost my BG back into range.” ~ Janica
• When someone’s blood sugar is off, sometimes they just need some understanding and space.
   
  “When my blood sugar is high, I often get severe headaches and feel completely overwhelmed. My body feels like it’s working at overdrive, and even small noises or bright lights make everything worse. In these moments, what helps the most is simply being able to sit down and have some time to myself. Just knowing that others understand and aren’t expecting me to push through it makes a huge difference.” ~ Sameeksha
• Ask what the alarms mean and what’s considered high and low, and in class, if they seem to be acting weird, check in with them.
   
  “Sometimes when I’m low, I don’t even notice it myself, so having someone ask me, ‘Are you okay… are you low?’ is a big help and makes me feel safer and less scared and judged because I have people around me that understand and know. Furthermore, I get embarrassed when my alarms go off in classes where people don’t know or just in general, but when my friends and teachers know, I feel normal and not like an alien, and it creates a safe space for us because they know that something is up.” ~ Iman

Raising Type 1 Diabetes Awareness in Schools

You don’t have to organize something big to raise awareness. Even a small project can start meaningful conversations about type 1 diabetes.

When Sameeksha, Sophie, and Iman created their T1D Awareness Instagram page, they wanted to build a space where people could learn and connect. They posted about daily life with diabetes, from managing school and sports to explaining what blood sugar highs and lows really feel like. They also shared quick facts and positive messages to remind others with T1D that they are not alone.

Raising awareness in your own community

Whether you live with T1D, know someone living with T1D or just want to help others learn about diabetes, raising awareness at your school will help prepare everyone to be T1D allies for life. You don’t have to go big to raise awareness – all it takes is a table, a poster, a couple of friends and a game. A few examples of things you can do at your school include:

• Host a blue day (the international colour for diabetes awareness). For Janica, it was only her and three friends who worked together to explain T1D and host the event. They had two fully interactive tables including a large poster to sign & write kind messages and a carb-counting game which allowed students to ask MANY questions about diabetes, carb counting and general nutrition while they worked to achieve a “low snack.” Talk about T1D or play videos on school announcements/social media – a simple and easy way to raise awareness with little effort! (see pics below)
• Ask a club to do a quick presentation! Back in grade 10, Janica collaborated with her school’s HOSA club to give a deep dive into diabetes, living with it and medical devices. (She brought in OLD medical devices that she was unable to use or past expiry date!)
• Post or share something during Diabetes Awareness Month (November 14th is World Diabetes Day!), like a photo in blue or a short story about what T1D means to you.
• Use polls or Q&A features to answer questions and help others understand diabetes better.
• Busting myths is another fun yet educational way to spread awareness. This can help people anonymously interact and ask questions.

When it comes to Type 1 diabetes awareness in schools, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, a few honest posts and some teamwork are all it takes to make a difference and to help create a safe space for people living with type 1 diabetes.

Hi, I’m Janica Van Alstine, a grade 12 student living in Hamilton, Ontario. I was diagnosed with T1D 15 years ago when I was 16 months old. I love reading, music and working in my school and community. I play trumpet, guitar and sing in my spare time.