Minimizing the Social Impact of Epilepsy
As you well know, the school setting is second only to the family in having a key influence on your students’ social development. School interactions affect the self, play a role in academic achievement, and have an enduring impact on the future.
Setting an Example
As an educator, you have an important role in maintaining the dignity of a student with epilepsy in your classroom. This involves preventing other students from taking part in negative actions, such as teasing or alienating a student who experiences seizures. In addition, you should have no reason or need to give any special treatment to a student in your class who has epilepsy. With few exceptions, you should not expect any less from this student, as students with epilepsy have the same range of intelligence as other students and often epilepsy itself has no effect on a student’s abilities.
Monitoring Behavior
You may also find it helpful to talk to the student’s parents or the school nurse regarding your student’s medication. It is not uncommon for a student taking anti-epilepsy medications to exhibit some behavior changes. Because medications may have different effects on different people, it is important that you are aware of how these drugs might affect the student in your classroom.
| Stop the rumors |
| It is important to dispel any myths or rumors you might hear around the class or on the playground. As with any subject, teach your students about epilepsy based on fact, understanding, and compassion. |
Tools for Educators Are Here
The tools provided on this site by EpilepsyAdvocate™ can help you play an instrumental role in educating students about epilepsy and influencing the way in which other students interact with a student who has epilepsy.