How to Talk With Your Child's Teachers and School Staff
Wouldn’t it be great if every teacher, school nurse, coach, and principal was well informed about epilepsy? Fortunately, many teachers and school staff are. But for those who aren’t, or who need a refresher course, it is important to pass along this information about your child. This helps to dispel any misconceptions about epilepsy that may exist and can help your child feel more at ease while at school.
One of the best ways to prevent misunderstandings about epilepsy and prepare those at your child’s school is to talk to your child’s teacher and school nurse at the beginning of the year. You may find the following tips to be helpful.
Straight talk
Discuss the facts about epilepsy and be sure to emphasize how epilepsy affects your child specifically. It is helpful for your child’s school nurse and teacher to understand what types of seizures your child has, what these seizures may look like, and common seizure triggers. It is also important to communicate how you would like the teacher to handle seizures if they occur.
The right information
Getting the right information to the right people at school can make a big difference in your child's school experience. Click here to download some useful forms that you can print out and customize to give to appropriate school staff. [link to downloads]. These include an emergency contact form, a fact sheet for teachers, and an incident report teachers can use to record important information should a seizure occur in the classroom.
React, don’t overreact, to a seizure
As you probably know, it may not be necessary to call 911 when your child has a minor seizure. However, some seizures are emergencies. Helping school staff to understand the nature of your child's epilepsy and teaching them about seizure safety can help ensure they respond properly to a seizure.