Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Back-to-School With Epilepsy


It is a new school year, a time of meeting old friends and making new ones.  A new year also means meeting new teachers and perhaps starting at a new school altogether.  It is a challenge for any child, but for children with epilepsy, it is even more so.  As a result, there are many things that parents need to do to prepare their child for school.  According to the Epilepsy Foundation, here are some guidelines to follow.


Parents should meet one-on-one with the school principal and nurse to educate them on:

·         the nature of the type of seizure(s) that the child has
·         how often the seizures occur
·         if there are any seizure triggers to be aware of
·         the medication(s) or other treatments your child is on and how/how often they should be administered
·         any rescue medications and how to administer them correctly and
·         the correct seizure first aid that is required.

To ensure that school personnel are informed on seizure first aid, it is a good idea to offer to arrange a presentation to the school staff, provided by a local epilepsy support group.

One aspect of school preparation that must not be overlooked is your child’s emotional condition.  Make sure you talk with him/her to find out how things are going.  It is important for the parent to listen to his/her child.  If something needs to be done, you will figure it out in time.  Bullying is a separate issue that must be addressed, but I will write about it in detail in a later post.

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