For Teens with Diabetes

Teenagers typically want to spend more time on their own and have to juggle school, extracurricular activities, and friends. Diabetes management may not be the number one priority and changing hormones can mean more problems with blood glucose control.

That is why it is so important to get as much support as possible with diabetes management.

Check It Out

One way our team provides additional support is through our discussion board for teens. Other teens with diabetes may be going through similar things and this is a safe place where teens can ask questions and find out how others are dealing with diabetes. Plus, as a teen with diabetes, you may have a suggestion for someone else’s problem.

Parents of teens have challenges too. For them we have a discussion board for parents as well as a support group of Joslin teens.

We run groups for teens and young adults with type 1 diabetes to help them meet others and share their experiences. The groups are run by Jessica T. Markowitz, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist who works in the Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Section at Joslin. Click here for more information

Tours of Fenway Park

Joslin runs events in the summer for teens and pre-teens with diabetes and a parent/guardian. These programs offer the opportunity to meet other teens with diabetes and their families and to discuss such topics as coping with the stress of diabetes and balancing support and teen independence. Joslin’s teen programs are lead by family support specialist as well as pediatric diabetes medical specialists.