Controversy Over Diabetic Student's Classes in Pa.

by KYW's Michelle Durham

A Lionville, Pa. middle school student is the center of a controversy between his parents and the Downingtown Area School District. His parents say his diabetes would be better managed if he was able to take gym every day and bypass required music and reading skills classes -- the district said no.

Kelly Darr is an attorney for the Disability Rights Network:

"There are specific federal regulations that are out there that cover kids that are in public schools and require schools to provide accomodatations for those students, so they can receive equal benefit from their public education as all the other kids."

Dr. Elizabeth Suarez is a pediatric dndocrinologist at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children. She says a child's concentration can be affected if their blood sugar is not properly managed and there are many things to consider:

"For children with type two diabetes it is very important for them to control their weight and also control their diet. For children with type one diabetes it is important they have to ensure they have a consistant amount of carbohydrates that they eat at each meal."

And to take their insulin with that meal for type two diabetes plays a very important role in helping keeping weight in check, which will help with the diabetes for kids with type one diabetes the most important thing is the proper dose of insulin.