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The Diabetes Research Institute Foundation has produced a tool for school personnel, child-care providers, and others entrusted with the care of a child who has type-1 diabetes. "Facts about Diabetes: A guide for school personnel and child care providers" features information about the disease and how it is controlled; clear instructions on handling emergency situations, such as an insulin reaction; and a diabetes management form that can be personalized. The brochure can also be a useful prompt for you to talk with parents of a diabetic child during office visits about their school-day concerns.

A multi-institution study from Canada that tracks the surge in asthma emergencies after the start of the school year serves to remind clinicians that back-to-school asthma is an annual and predictable phenomenon triggered by students' return to school with viral infections. The phenomenon has been documented in previous studies, in the United States and Canada, that showed that more than six times as many asthmatic children of elementary school age are admitted to the hospital in early fall than in summer.But you can make a difference when this seasonal wave overtakes young asthmatics: Give their parents appropriate counseling to help them lessen the morbidity that arises in the classroom and cafeteria. On that point, the American Lung Association offers insight and assistance.

Hearing parents of a deaf infant face emotional hurdles and complex choices about how to communicate with and educate their child. The counseling you provide can set the stage for success or failure. First of two parts.