I am an experienced special day class teacher. My class covers first through third grades. I have had children with seizures in my classes before but this fall there is a new student with a significant “mixed” seizure disorder in my class. I want to make sure that I have gotten the information I need in order to do my best with this student. Can you help?

Worried teacher

Answer:

Dear Worried,

This is an excellent question. There is far too much information to include in an answer.

I would check and see if there is any information included in his/her cum folder. Many students have specific “Epilepsy Action Plans” that have been created specifically for the classroom. Then, if you haven’t already, to speak with the parents about this student and request any information that they might have been given specifically for teachers. Your school nurse, if available, could help with obtaining this information.

There are many kinds of seizures and children vary widely in the frequency and severity of seizures. With most adequately medicated children, seizures are infrequent.

Several specifics are important:

• If a child has sudden seizures and falls to the ground unexpectedly, he may need specific cautions such as not playing on high play equipment or not going to swim without somebody close by in the event that they might have a seizure in the water.

• Some young children may have helmets to prevent head injury when they fall

Children with seizures usually do not lose cognitive abilities unless they suffer loss of oxygen during a particularly bad seizure or have a particular form of epilepsy that is associated with progressive loss of cognition. If the child has the degenerative type of epilepsy such as Lennox-Gastaux, it is important to be aware of his/her level of cognitive functioning to plan instruction. This may require cognitive reassessment more frequently than every 3 years. Fortunately, the degenerative forms of epilepsy are relatively rare.

As the child matures, then some form of disability awareness should be offered to classmates so that they will respond appropriately, should there be a seizure. This would only be appropriate if there is a reasonable chance of the child having a seizure in front of his classmates.

I have included several good web sites below my answer. They have much good information specific to teachers about having children with epilepsy in the classroom.

I hope that this gives you a way of approaching this youngster and learning more about proved methods of dealing with epilepsy in the classroom setting.

Kay S. Browne MD
Behavioral Pediatrician

Websites:
www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/teachers.html

http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/education/firstaid.html

www.epilepsyfoundation.org