Adolescent Autonomy Development

Caregivers viewed adolescence as the ideal developmental window for teens to safely experiment with greater self-management responsibility before the less forgiving demands of adulthood. Several caregivers expressed the ultimate goal of having their adolescent internalise good diabetes management habits so thoroughly that those habits become second nature by their 20s. Caregivers sought a gradual, conscious movement along the continuum of autonomy and control, avoiding both overcontrol and complete withdrawal of support. Caregivers wanted to be perceived by their teens as allies rather than disciplinarians, framing effective T1D management as a shared team endeavour built on mutual trust.