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Libre 2 in GCSE exams

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Wallyberry

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Parent of person with diabetes
Hi

I wondered if anyone has experience with their child using a Libre 2 with the app on a mobile phone during GCSE or A-level exams? How did the school handle it?

My son is in yr 10 and about to take his mocks under the same conditions as he will sit his GCSEs, and he’s worried about the way that the school want to take his phone (I am an invigilator at a different school, so I know this is necessary) away during the exam. How far away can they take it before it stops communicating with the sensor, and how does he go about scanning his sensor in an exam situation?

thanks!
 
It's used as a medical device so simple solution is sit at the front of the hall so the invigilator can see it's not being used for cheating.
I think but can't remember for my Dexcom it's about 6 meters my receiver can be away from the sensor.

Why doesn't your son just do a finger poke whilst in the exam if he needs to?
 
Pumper_Sue said:
Why doesn't your son just do a finger poke whilst in the exam if he needs to?
Click to expand...
Finger pokes do not overcome the communication problem for alerts when high and low.
Nor do they provide directional trends.
Why should someone revert to "old fashioned" technology in a stressful situation such as an exam?
 
helli said:
Finger pokes do not overcome the communication problem for alerts when high and low.
Nor do they provide directional trends.
Why should someone revert to "old fashioned" technology in a stressful situation such as an exam?
Click to expand...
Excuse me they were not even invented when I took my exams we just had to get on with it.
If he can not have the phone with him then he has to use finger pokes and for a couple of hours it wont hurt him.
At least he has that technology. If he can not detect an oncoming low he is stuffed for later in life if he wanted to drive isn't he?
 
@Pumper_Sue I appreciate CGMs are relatively new but that does not mean kids today should miss out.
I am sure there are ways around allowing them to use this new technology.
@Wallyberry If we are not clear on the forum, I recommend calling the diabetes helpline (number at the top of the page).
 
Have you arranged for him to be in a separate room to do his exams, so that if he does have any problems he can deal with them without disturbing anyone else. He should also be allowed breaks, and it should be made clear that it takes the brain 45 minutes to return to normal AFTER the blood sugars have come back up, so the break must be as long as it needs to be. We have arranged for my daughter to have a separate room, she must have testing equipment and hypo treatment to hand and can have breaks if necessary. Actually I’m not sure what they do about her phone but she has Dexcom which also links to her insulin pump so that would alert her if she’s going out of range. The school does have a total ban on phones but my daughter is allowed to use hers for medical purposes and has a red card which she carries everywhere to show any over-zealous member of staff who might try to confiscate it. In an exam I’d have thought it must be possible to place it nearby but not on the same table so that the invigilator can see he isn’t cheating, then if he needs to finger prick or scan he can show them what he’s doing.
 
Pumper_Sue said:
Excuse me they were not even invented when I took my exams we just had to get on with it.
If he can not have the phone with him then he has to use finger pokes and for a couple of hours it wont hurt him.
At least he has that technology. If he can not detect an oncoming low he is stuffed for later in life if he wanted to drive isn't he?
Click to expand...
The argument that it was like this in my day and I got on it with is, excuse me, a rubbish one. The whole point of technology is that it is something that improves quality of life, sometimes dramatically, and as someone who relies on a CGM due to hypo awareness my life would be at best miserable without it, at worst at serious risk. I am surprised that someone who has a Dexcom would be so condescending about its use and value.

To OP. Please talk to the school asap. It may be he needs a separate room and invigilator to have the phone with him. He should also have provision to take in snacks/take breaks if needed. If the school are being obtuse, please talk to your clinic/DSN, I guarantee they will have come across this before. Also, please ignore the flippant comment about 'being screwed'.
 
Saoirse said:
he argument that it was like this in my day and I got on it with is, excuse me, a rubbish one. The whole point of technology is that it is something that improves quality of life, sometimes dramatically, and as someone who relies on a CGM due to hypo awareness my life would be at best miserable without it, at worst at serious risk. I am surprised that someone who has a Dexcom would be so condescending about its use and value.
Click to expand...
What a load of rubbish.
Yes technology is fantastic but people with diabetes should be able to manage without it for a couple of hours. Not everyone has access for CGM's Lebre etc.,
Personally I think your post is insulting.
 
helli said:
@Pumper_Sue I appreciate CGMs are relatively new but that does not mean kids today should miss out.
I am sure there are ways around allowing them to use this new technology.
Click to expand...
Yep stick the kid in a room on his own and make him feel alien compared to his mates.
As far as I am concerned if alarms go off and disturb the kids in the exam then either don't use the device or stick said child in a room on his own.
Finger pokes are just fine for exam time if they are needed.
 
OP: You may find this useful:https://www.diabetes.org.uk/resources-s3/2018-11/1201C_Type 1 diabetes and exams_DIGITAL.pdf

Your school is required to make reasonable adjustments to enable all students to sit their exams under equitable conditions. Facilitating your son to use his Libre, and to be able to check his blood sugars in the way in which
he is used to doing, and to take action depending on those results is entirely reasonable. I wish him and you the very best for his mocks and future exams.
 
Thanks everyone.
of course he could use finger pricks, but frankly, why should he? He’s highly unlikely to be phased by a separate room - as an experienced invigilator I can tell you students who have medical needs of whatever form tend to prefer being in a separate room with just a few others than to feel like their entire year group is watching them get up and leave for a rest break… of course we know that the rest of the year are usually sympathetic and are in fact much more concerned about getting on with their own work, but that doesn’t stop them being self conscious.

yes, he can tell when a low is coming on, but not until it’s late in the day. And the argument about what he may or may not need or want to do in the future is at this point irrelevant.

anyway, thanks everyone for the advice. We’re talking to the exams officer on Monday so hopefully we’ll get things sorted out then.

just good to know I’m not losing my marbles
 
Wallyberry said:
Hi

I wondered if anyone has experience with their child using a Libre 2 with the app on a mobile phone during GCSE or A-level exams? How did the school handle it?

My son is in yr 10 and about to take his mocks under the same conditions as he will sit his GCSEs, and he’s worried about the way that the school want to take his phone (I am an invigilator at a different school, so I know this is necessary) away during the exam. How far away can they take it before it stops communicating with the sensor, and how does he go about scanning his sensor in an exam situation?

thanks!
Click to expand...
When you say about to when is it? And will one sensor expiire before then and do you have a libre 2 reader if so you could start next one with that and see if they will allow the reader instead? That's got no access to the internet.
 
The mocks are the week after next. I don’t think we’ve got the reader, but I will check, as that’s an interesting point!
 
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