To ‘EDUCATE’ this teacher?

[Misinformation]

DS has Type 1 diabetes. He has to put up with stupid comments like ‘did you eat too much sugar’ regularly.

At school today, a boy asked him this. Teacher nearby started telling him what Type 1 is and he asked if anyone could get it and could you get it randomly.

Teacher said No which DS was quite pissed of about as it seems to imply he’s done something to get it or it’s in his genes (it’s not). He’s not the type to correct a teacher so I think I should?

Quite annoyed as if you’re going to educate someone, do it correctly!

I don't understand why you are so adamant that your son doesn't have a genetic predisposition for T1D OP. He obviously does or he wouldn't have developed it.

As I just said to another poster obviously spontaneous cases can occur but having a genetic predisposition to T1D doesn't necessarily mean others in your family also have T1D, they can have other autoimmune disease in the same family like hypothyroidism, Reynaud's, pernicious anaemia.

It's the genetic predisposition to autoimmunity that is passed on, not a specific autoimmune disease.

Eg my mum has hypothyroidism, as do some other women in that side of my family. I am autoimmune free (touch wood) but my son has T1D. I have passed on the predisposition. No one else in the family in living memory has ever had T1D.

@BloodyHellKen because it means the OP doesn’t need to feel responsible for her son having that condition. Which she absolutely shouldn’t, it is not her fault, but the majority of the time when parents refuse to look or understand the facts and evidence it’s because they feel like they’re the ones to blame.

Goodness. Calm down..you are being massively oversensitive about this.. I know several people who developed type 1 diabetes in their 20s. There are certainly some genetic elements to how these auto immune diseases are triggered and how this develops into type 1 diabetes. The teacher was just giving a diplomatic answer explaining that you can't catch diabetes. They did not seem to be suggesting you child did anything. You need to stop over thinking this.

Good god. Are you a teacher?

Can you add up the years between primary school age and age 14 considering that thread is dated 12th Feb this year?

Because it is not wrong, and even if it were wrong, students have to learn what the exam board says they have to learn. There are aspects of the GCSE that are factually wrong, but this it not one of them.

Chucking random scraps of internet dirge at me doesn't change that.

A - I am a biology teacher and B- I come from a family where many people have inherited it

A teacher at my school once asked a boy/girl twin if they were identical.
Worse still she was a science teacher !

I hope you don’t talk like this to your son. You sound over intense.

I have Type 1 diabetes and it’s an extremely misunderstood condition.

I think the teacher did the right thing in telling the trouble maker that it isn’t caused by eating too many sweets.

It is caused by having a genetic predisposition though. I was the first in my family but my nephew got it in his teens as well.

I suspect what is getting some people’s’ backs up on here is your condescending and aggressive tone towards the teacher who is only doing his or her best.

Do not think they’ve got enough to deal with this early in the term?

I think your DS will have to grow a thicker skin as he’ll deal with far worse than this when he’s an adult with T1!!!

OP, I get you are protective of your child - I watched my uncle and aunt cope with my cousin getting a T1 diagnosis at 7 and it is SO hard as a parent. But I wonder if your DS' sensitive reaction to the teacher's clearly-no-malice-intended remark is a reflection of how you tend to react? Taking offence is counterproductive because the other kids now know to bait him to wind him up. Isn't it better to encourage him to shrug it off and just calmly put them straight, teacher included?

Thank you for this @bruffin . I find genetics and autoimmunity a fascinating subject not least because almost all women on my mums side developed some autoimmunity in young adult hood but not me, though I expected to. But here is the kicker. I clearly carry the dodgy genes as 2 of my adult children have autoimmune diseases. I would love to know how/why I appear to have protection.

When my oldest developed T1D we both had the same nasty flu bug. I made a full recovery he developed T1D.

How the actual fuck is it ‘precious’ to not want my son to feel like shit by a teacher’s stupid remark about a life threatening medical condition when he is struggling to understand why it happened to him?

Except the teacher didn't make a stupid remark, stop reaching we get about your sons health but stop lashing out at everyone.

Someone made a stupid remark in this thread stating you can catch it that was you.

But on MN many never mniss a chance to fabricate complaints against teachers! What did the OP expect the teacher to say? It's not the teacher who needs educating, look in the mirror OP!

It is something that you can basically ‘catch’ and anyone can get it.

You cannot catch diabetes FFS because it’s contagious.

Your poor kid.
You’re going to alienate him until he has no friends.

Thank goodness he at least has an adult around him with some common sense, his teacher.

Someone started a thread and asked why people say the OP sounds like hard work.
If they read this thread they would understand.

Of course it is genetic. Everything in your body is related to your genes so anyone with type 1 diabetes has a genetic mix that lends itself or means they are highly likely to developing type 1 diabetes, irrespective of anything he could have done to prevent it, which is why young kids get it. As opposed to my mother who has Type 2 diabetes because she is overweight and has a terrible diet so she developed it in her late fifties.

I don't get why you don't like an explanation that shows that it is not his fault, there was nothing he could have done to prevent having it and it wasn't due to him hving unhealthy habits? Saying something is genetic is not necessarily the same as saying something is hereditary.

Yanbu

Maybe read my first post. The boy asked if you could get it randomly and could anyone get it. Teacher said NO implying that DS is not like ‘anyone’, didn’t get it randomly and has some sort of deficit.

It's doesn't imply that at all. Just because PP doesn't agree with your conclusion doesn't mean they haven't read your post. Most people seem to disagree with you.

The teacher's explanation was simplistic (perhaps age-appropriately do) but not at all critical of your son. I think you will make your son's life harder if you don't teach him how to accept that not everyone will always be perfectly sensitive to the challenges he faces.

@Sidslaw Will you share a source for this, please, as I'm unable to find one. (The closest I can find from a reputable source is that genes definitely play a role in type 1.)

'Catch' implies it is contagious, which it is not. I'm very glad a teacher has said you can't catch diabetes.

I understand your train of thought, but the word 'catch' is not the word you're actually looking for. I have a medical condition that anyone could end up with at any point in their life - that doesn't mean they're going to 'catch' it.

You don't want people treating your child as if they have a contagious disease, surely you can see how that might affect friendships in children?

It's pretty obvious from this thread that even people who say they know about Type 1 diabetes can't quite agree on terms. Why you'd expect a random teacher to know more than what they've been instructed to do to help keep their students safe in school is beyond me. 'How you get type 1 diabetes' doesn't fall into that category of information.

I teach approximately 300 students. You should see the amount of stuff we have to read through and familiarise ourselves with about individual student needs, adverse childhood experiences and health conditions of all our classes at the beginning of the school year, and what measures we must take in order to teach those students, in addition to actually planning our lessons and everything else. Expecting teachers to also know all about the origins and causes of everyone's health conditions is unreasonable.

Maybe you need to get a grip ,stop suggesting you catch diabetes and brush up on how genetics work.

Ah I hadn't thought of that @Whatswhatwhichiswhich

OP, it is definitely not your fault your son developed T1D anymore than it is my fault my son developed T1D. It is just one of those thing I'm afraid.

I always like to remind myself it could be ALOT worse!!

Oh and as for the 'EDUCATE' in capitals...

It is very rare but it’s also possible I discovered after watching a twin documentary.

This

you simply seem to have an issue with teachers.

I think people need to go easy on the OP. Yes, they're not listening to the fact that their child has inherited genes that allow Type 1 to trigger in the first place but I recognise the anger and rage.
It's an awful, often unfathomable condition and a terrible burden for a child to live with. It's largely unseen but it dominates every waking (and sleeping) hour and leaves you desperately looking for answers (there are none.)
You fear your child will die. Every single day.
You count, calculate, respond to alarms and desperately try to ensure your child can do what other children do. You are permanently exhausted. It's an utter mind fuck.
Fortunately technology is advancing at a rapid pace and the future looks a lot brighter. It sounds like this is a fairly new diagnosis given the mentions of Covid. OP is grieving the life she thought her child would have and the burden he carries around with him when he should be carefree.
I recognise it. I've accepted it now but still hate it every day.
Don't be too harsh.

💐 to the OP even if she doesn't want them or wants to chuck them.in the bin.