Observant teacher noticed one unusual pattern in her autistic student’s bathroom breaks — and caught what his parents mistook for the flu
A teacher’s attention to small changes can sometimes make a life-saving difference. At an elementary school in Ohio’s Lakota Local School District, special education teacher Emily Colbert began noticing unusual behavior in one of her students. Brian “Rio” Cole, a nonverbal sixth grader with autism, showed issues that seemed minor at first but continued over time. As reported by Local 12 News on May 19, 2026, the parents initially thought it was due to his flu, which he was recovering from. However, a deeper insight revealed something worrisome.
Colbert said she had known Rio as a bright and routine-loving student who usually stayed active during class. Over time, she noticed he seemed unusually tired during one-on-one learning sessions. "He was just sitting there, almost falling asleep at the table,” she recalled. His parents thought it might be connected to a recent flu or new medication, but the pattern did not fully match normal recovery. As the days passed, the teacher observed another change that stood out more clearly. The child began asking for water more often and needed frequent restroom breaks, which raised further concern. She informed his mother, Shanah Cole, that she had a hunch there was something even more serious. After taking him to the ER, the doctors diagnosed him with Type 1 diabetes.
The teacher said her connection with the sixth grader helped her trust her instincts. Rather than ignoring her gut feeling, Colbert decided to speak with Rio’s family while carefully explaining she could be mistaken. She told them she did not want to “raise any red flags,” but something about his condition felt unusual. She added that his symptoms closely matched those of her niece, who also had diabetes, and ultimately, her guess turned out right. A CDC report shows that the condition among young people in the United States has been rising over the years. Between 2002 and 2018, new diagnoses of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes increased steadily. Type 1 cases were recorded at about 20 per 100,000 young people in 2002 and rose to around 22 per 100,000 by 2018, showing a 2% jump.
Reports also note that more than 18,000 young people are currently living with type 1 diabetes, while over 5,000 have type 2 diabetes, with most type 1 diagnoses occurring around ages 10 to 12. The mom later said that many children with the condition are sometimes diagnosed very late, especially when communication barriers exist. She explained that in nonverbal children, symptoms may go unnoticed for longer periods, increasing health risks. Rio’s father, Brian Cole, credited the teacher for her quick action, saying it helped save his son’s life.