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The majority of diabetes in children, teenagers and young adults is Type 1 diabetes.
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Learning your child has Type 1 diabetes can feel overwhelming and come with a number of challenges for a family, but early diagnosis and appropriate support can help.
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A Providence pediatric endocrinologist recommends that families focus on five priorities, including nutrition and physical activity, to help adolescents with Type 1 diabetes.
Help your adolescent navigate Type 1 diabetes
A Type 1 diabetes diagnosis is life-altering. It affects everything from your physical and mental health to your everyday life and even your relationships with others. When your child or adolescent is diagnosed with this condition, it’s uniquely challenging.
According to Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF), roughly 215,000 children and adolescents under the age of 20 around the world were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2024.
A new diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes can make many families feel overwhelmed, and that’s normal, says Marcie Drury Brown, M.D., a pediatric endocrinologist with Providence Pediatric Endocrinology. But it will get easier with time.
“Managing Type 1 diabetes can be challenging, but with the right information, support and tools, it is possible to live a healthy and fulfilling life,” she says.
What to know about Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition that affects insulin production in the body. Insulin is a hormone the pancreas makes. Its job is to turn food into energy and regulate blood sugar levels, also known as blood glucose levels. Because of its role in helping glucose enter the body’s cells, where it can be used for energy or stored for future use, insulin is essential for life.
In someone with Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas either doesn’t make insulin or doesn’t make enough insulin. Or, in some cases, the insulin the pancreas does produce can’t be properly used by the body. Insufficient insulin causes the glucose level in the body to rise, which can be dangerous and lead to a life-threatening condition called diabetic ketoacidosis.
To prevent ketoacidosis and other complications from developing, people with Type 1 diabetes must take synthetic insulin to survive.
Type 1 diabetes symptoms
Signs of Type 1 diabetes can be tricky, Dr. Drury Brown says, particularly in kids who are resilient or able to “kind of hide” the symptoms. That said, the classic early signs of Type 1 diabetes are frequent urination and increased thirst.
“Maybe your child is getting up multiple times a night to go to the bathroom,” she says. “Or maybe your child is potty trained and can normally sleep through the night without having an accident but is now having them.”
Other common Type 1 diabetes symptoms include changes in:
- Appetite
- Energy level
- Weight
Type 1 diabetes risk factors
The incidence of developing Type 1 diabetes is roughly 1 in 300, Dr. Drury Brown says, but if you have a family member with the disease, your risk for developing it jumps to 1 in 20. Risk also increases if you have a family member with another autoimmune condition, like celiac disease.
While it’s the most common Type 1 diabetes risk factor, family history isn’t associated with most cases.
“Eighty-five percent of people who have Type 1 diabetes have no family history of it,” Dr. Drury Brown says. “Most of the time, it’s just one of those random things that happens.”
Still, she adds, determining what triggers Type 1 diabetes or another autoimmune condition to develop is a major focus of current research. Recent studies, for example, link viral infections like Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and rubella to the disease.
Type 1 diabetes diagnosis
Traditionally, Type 1 diabetes is diagnosed using tests, like the A1C test, to look for high blood glucose levels and determine how long they’ve been elevated.
Today, screening options are also available to diagnose Type 1 diabetes earlier. These tests identify proteins in the blood called autoantibodies, which may signal that the body’s immune system is attacking cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Knowing these autoantibodies are present before insulin is required can help prevent the condition from progressing.
“Classic diagnostic methods are helpful when the disease becomes obvious or apparent,” Dr. Drury Brown says, “but finding Type 1 diabetes earlier — before people have symptoms — can help either prevent them from progressing to full-blown diabetes or slow the progression down. That way, people aren’t so sick when they’re first diagnosed.”
Ways to help an adolescent manage Type 1 diabetes
As with anyone with Type 1 diabetes knows, a major part of management is regularly checking blood sugar levels. That’s primarily performed with a continuous glucose monitor.
“That’s absolutely standard of care, and it’s something we start typically within one to two weeks of diagnosis,” Dr. Drury Brown says.
Another staple of Type 1 diabetes management is regular insulin delivery, either through an insulin pump or an injection.
5 priorities for adolescents
Outside of standard treatments, Dr. Drury Brown recommends five priorities to focus on to help your child or adolescent manage both the physical and mental aspects of Type 1 diabetes:
- Nutrition
Because it disrupts the body’s ability to regulate sugar, Type 1 diabetes requires a major commitment to well-rounded nutrition — something that can get a little tricky with children and teenagers, Dr. Drury Brown says.
“We want these kids to be able to grow,” she says, “so you need to make sure they’re getting everything they need to grow well and be healthy. That includes a balanced combination of carbs, proteins and healthy fats. But it’s also understanding what works best for your child and your family.”
2. Physical activity
While movement is important for everyone, it’s especially important for those with Type 1 diabetes because it helps regulate blood sugar levels and reduce the body’s overall need for insulin.
“The best activity is the activity your child enjoys doing and that they do consistently,” Dr. Drury Brown says.
For kids, that’s often as simple as going to the park or the playground, or running around in the backyard.
3. Developmentally appropriate support
The support your child or adolescent with Type 1 diabetes needs will vary as they progress through the teenage years. Remember that the older they are, and the longer they’ve had the diagnosis, the better they’re able to articulate what they need and when they need it — and when what they’re feeling has nothing to do with diabetes.
“The one thing I often hear from teens is that they get frustrated when the first thing their parent asks them at the end of the day is about their diabetes,” Dr. Drury Brown says. “Especially when they’re navigating the teen years, they may just be having a bad day. Starting with ‘How was your day?’ goes over much better than ‘What has your blood sugar level been doing?’”
Diabetes is a chronic condition and something that needs attention every day, Dr. Drury Brown adds, but it’s no one’s entire life.
“Find appropriate ways to check in and be supportive,” she advises.
4. Independence
Every child with diabetes needs a school plan to ensure they’re getting the support they need throughout the day. But Dr. Drury Brown says one way older kids and adolescents can start building independence around their condition is by managing some things on their own, like delivering their insulin at lunch themselves — with parent and school permission, of course — without having to go to the office or school nurse.
“You can slowly build up that independence and self-management where there’s easy accountability and support if they need it,” Dr. Drury Brown says.
5. Connection
Social connections benefit everyone, but they’re especially vital for people with conditions like Type 1 diabetes. For one thing, Dr. Drury Brown says, stress can trigger high blood sugar, and talking or hanging out with a friend can help reduce anxious feelings.
Also, she says, research has found that young people with diabetes who are depressed have higher blood sugar levels. That’s why most diabetes management teams include a behavioral health provider.
“We want to normalize these check-ins so kids know they have someone there to support them and give them tools to cope with what they’re feeling, whether or not it’s diabetes-related,” Dr. Drury Brown says.
No matter your child’s age, providing them with love and support is the best way you can help them manage their diagnosis and improve their overall well-being, Dr. Drury Brown says.
“Your child is still the same child,” she says. “Their likes and interests and personality haven’t changed. It’s a big change, yes, but you don’t have to be perfect, and it will get easier as you go forward.”
Contributing caregiver
Marcie Drury Brown, M.D., is a pediatric endocrinologist with Providence Pediatric Endocrinology in Portland, Oregon.
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Related resources
Living and thriving with diabetes
Diabetes Awareness Month: Debunking common myths
This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your health care professional’s instructions.
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