Field Trips are arranged for children with Type 1 diabetes through the Friends Forever Type-1 Support group in order to promote a sense of belonging and camaraderie. The older children guide and help younger children to cope with the stigma of the disease which the society unknowingly burdens them with. Support is also needed for the parents of the children. Such group therapy activities are beneficial for the parents to understand the difficulties their children would grow through as they grow up, their special needs and their fears can be addressed with confidence. The parents of children with newly discovered type 1 diabetes find it difficult to talk about it to other parents. They need to understand about hypoglycemia if the child is not communicative and they also need to understand that besides the need for insulin injection, the children can lead a normal life, like any other children. Fear and doubts regarding puberty, marriage and child bearing are all discussed and answered in these group therapy sessions that are combined with fun activities like drawing competitions and fun trips to neighborhood tourist spots

A TRIP TO TIGER CAVES – An adventurous trip to a faraway place to allow children to function confidently and independently without their parents.

During these trips the children learn self discipline, managing their diabetes on their own, self injections, managing their insulin pumps and self monitoring of their blood sugars. The older children with type 1 diabetes support their younger peers sharing their experiences in their journey through life with type 1 diabetes. The adolescent children who were noted to be “quiet, introverts” at home and school turned to extroverts while interacting with a group of children with similar problems. Positive reinforcement and experiences during the trip encourage children to feel normal and increases their confidence in self-management of their diabetes.

We did conduct few intellectual games , the children actively participated and thoroughly enjoyed the day. Their enthusiasm, sportsmanship and craziness showed that Type 1 diabetes is not a barrier to exhibit the talents , which invariably showed they are no less than a normal child.