Helping Young Children Have a Voice in Their Diabetes Care

When young children with Type 1 diabetes go to clinic appointments, they're often on the sidelines. Most diabetes consultations are built around talking—conversations between doctors and parents. But for kids aged 3 to 7, sitting through adult-centered discussions doesn't work well. They're not yet ready for that kind of communication, and they can't easily tell adults how they really feel about their diabetes or what they're struggling with day-to-day.

This gap matters because children should have a say in their own care, even when they're young. But until now, there weren't many proven ways to include them in a developmentally appropriate way.

Researchers at two pediatric diabetes clinics in Denmark decided to co-design communication tools with real children, parents, and healthcare staff. The result was the Child-Centered Narrative Play Tools (CNPTs)—a set of story stems and play materials built specifically for how young children communicate.

The team tested these tools with 29 children aged 3–7, along with their caregivers and 12 healthcare professionals. Through workshops and clinic visits, they refined the tools based on feedback from everyone involved. The goal was to see whether play and storytelling could help children participate more meaningfully and express what they're actually experiencing with diabetes.

When the play tools were used in clinic appointments, something shifted. Children were able to express their diabetes experiences, show what they understood about managing their condition, and actually make choices about their care—all through play and narrative. The tools gave kids a way to talk about everyday moments with diabetes and their emotional responses that wouldn't normally come up in a standard appointment.

Parents noticed the difference too. They saw their children more engaged and willing to share about daily diabetes management. And healthcare professionals felt more confident. When doctors and nurses used the play-based tools, they reported increased confidence in communicating at the level where children actually are developmentally.

Including children in their own care from an early age builds their understanding of diabetes and their confidence in managing it. When kids can express themselves and feel heard, they're more likely to stay engaged with their health over time. These narrative play tools show that it's possible to create clinic experiences where young children aren't just passive recipients of care—they're active participants in conversations about their own bodies and their own lives.

Source: Journal of pediatric nursing. Evidence type: PubMed indexed literature. Type1Cure is an information and intelligence hub, not a medical advice service. This article summarizes published research and does not provide diagnosis, treatment, or personal medical guidance. Always talk to your own care team before changing anything about your Type 1 diabetes management.