Creation of support group and educational materials for children with diabetes

Problem--The development of diabetes produces a state of shock for the child and his or her family. The single most important factor in coping with both the physical and emotional impact of diabetes is education. Only when there is a clear understanding on the part of the child and the family of what diabetes is, how it can be managed, how to prevent emergencies, and how to cope with complications should they arise, will these feelings begin to be resolved.There are very limited educational materials available to help the pre-school to elementary age children with diabetes understand their disease.Main Procedure--A support group for families who have children with diabetes was developed. The objectives were formulated in relationship to the needs of the support group. The following materials were created to help the children understand about their disease:1. A flannelboard explanation of diabetes was used to help the children understand diabetes.2. A green puppet to sing and talk to the children about the problems of being different and how to say no without calling attention to oneself was created.3. A homemade robot was made that could turn a negative message into a positive one. A discussion of what's good about today and the importance of having a positive attitude followed.4. A game called Diabetes Challenge was created. The game called for the recognition of foods and their exchange areas and also asked challenging questions about diabetes.5. Containers from three fast-food restaurants were used with food exchanges marked on them so children could select wisest choices for their meal plan.6. Marionettes and stick puppets were created to perform the puppet show "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and then the sequel "The Girl 'Who Cried Reaction". The sequel was written by the researcher in an attempt to illustrate the importance of being believed.7. A school booklet was developed for families to inform their schools about diabetes.8. A video tape was created to be used by parents to inform their school about diabetes.Understanding diabetes and learning to care for it well is an ongoing task. Diabetes in a child is a way of life. It involves the whole family and all those outside the family that are caring for the child.It is the writer's hope that this project will be utilized as a resource for presenting important information to children who have diabetes. These materials are available upon request by contacting Julie Alexander, R.R. 1 Box 29, Eaton, IN 47338, Phone:(317) 396-9222.Department of Elementary EducationThesis (M.A.