Assignment: Taking Diabetes to School

Children with diabetes have difficulties metabolizing sugar, and may not produce or respond to insulin, depending on the type of diabetes. There are two main types of diabetes that generally affect children and adolescents—Type 1 and Type 2. With Type 1 diabetes, also referred to juvenile-onset diabetes, children produce little to no insulin. Type 2 diabetes, also known as adult-onset diabetes, used to occur primarily in adults 40 years and over. Yet, it has been on the rise in children and adolescents due to nutrition and weight problems (International Diabetes Federation, n.d.).

The diagnosis of diabetes for children can be overwhelming. The responsibilities and restrictions a child with diabetes may have might make them feel like an outsider at school. Children with Type 1 diabetes are at higher risk for adjustments problems after diagnosis and increased risk for psychological problems (Delamater, 2007). Consider how you may be able to improve student-peer relationships by providing educational presentations for schools.

For this Assignment, imagine your local elementary school has hired you as a consultant to give a presentation on diabetes to students in Grades 3 & 4 or Grades 5 & 6. Based on the media on Diabetes in this week’s Learning Resources, select the information that you feel is important and pertinent to the age range you selected. Consider the following information when you are creating your presentation, but remember to tailor the information to the needs and knowledge level of your targeted age group.

• A definition of diabetes
• Management of diabetes
• Dietary restrictions
• Symptoms of a glucose emergency
• Potential barriers to peer relationships for students with diabetes

Submit your Assignment by Day 7. Please use your creativity while developing your Assignment. You may use the templates provided for your Assignment found in the Course Information area or you may create your own. You may also look at the American Heart Association example for an example of a completed PowerPoint presentation. This Assignment may be used as the foundation for your comprehensive program due in Week 11. Please review the Week 11 Assignment for additional details. Review the media in this week’s Learning Resources. Please note that you will only view media featuring adolescents because of ethical and legal considerations regarding the taping of younger children.

The Assignment (8–10 PowerPoint slides and a 1- to 2-page document)

• Create an age-appropriate PowerPoint Presentation. Include in your presentation:
  • Title slide
  • The age group you are targeting (Grades 3 & 4 or Grades 5 & 6)
  • Educational information related to diabetes appropriate for that age group.
• In a 1- to 2-page document, explain why you selected the information in your presentation and why it is age-appropriate.
• Include a list of references in APA format.

Support your assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are to provide a reference list for all resources, including those in the Learning Resources for this course.