Content areas include stress and psychological adjustment, family involvement and social support, nutrition and meal planning, activity and exercise, and medications. Annually, the patient and his or her parents, with assistance from the child psychologist, select specific goals for the upcoming year. These goals are reinforced by the entire diabetes team throughout the year at routine medical visits. Positive self-esteem is also reinforced throughout the process. Small group sessions, organized by age and sex, are offered on an ongoing basis.
Individual education occurs at each clinic visit.
The whole family is important Our staff understands that a child's or adolescent's diabetes impacts the whole family. As a result, we work within the framework of the family's lifestyle and cultural beliefs, as well as the child's school schedule and extracurricular activities, to design a diabetes treatment program that is flexible and that fits each situation. 24-hour emergency access There is always someone on our medical staff to help with acute problems, day or night. Access to the latest research Because of our affiliation with the University of Minnesota, staff members of the Pediatric Diabetes Education and Self-Management Program have access to the latest research on diabetes and participate in clinical trials to manage pediatric diabetes. Patient-based research has the potential to help not only our patients, but other young people with diabetes.