Statistically, children with epilepsy are more likely to have learning disabilities and require certain accommodations or instructional strategies to help them learn. Due to there being so many different forms of epilepsy and how it varies from student to student, the first step in educating a student with epilepsy is to learn as much about the student’s condition as possible. It’s best to meet with the student and their family and learn more about his or her condition from them. Ask what they think would help them be successful. Communication between parents and teachers is key to providing the student with the help they need.

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Many students have triggers for their seizures. A trigger is something that causes a seizure to come on. A few examples are bright or flashing lights, stress, lack of sleep, and becoming overheated. These triggers are different for every individual. So, ask the student if they have anything that triggers their seizures so you can try your best to make sure they avoid them.

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         Students with epilepsy might also have trouble with exams. This can be due to a variety of factors. Stress is a very common trigger among those with epilepsy and tests are known to be very stressful situations for many students. So, this can affect their performance on their tests. Therefore, as a teacher you should be mindful of this. If stress is a big factor for your student, you might allow the student to have extra time to take the test so they don’t feel as rushed. You can also avoid giving the student surprise quizzes as they can make the exam even more stressful. Many people also have memory and concentration issues that are either directly due to the epilepsy or a side effect of the medication they are on to treat the epilepsy. Many of the medications that treat epilepsy have side effects that cause cognitive issues. That’s something else you should discuss with the student’s family. So in this instance you might allow them to use notes for their tests or quizzes. Using a lot of repetition and reviewing of the material will also be beneficial to the student as well as other students in your classroom. However, each student is different and will require different accommodations.

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Students with epilepsy might also have something known as absence seizures. With these seizures the student might frequently blank out during class, which can cause them to miss things or appear inattentive. So, if a student is not responding to you don’t automatically assume he or she isn’t paying attention. Also try to repeat instructions numerous times, list important information, and maybe come up with a routine step by step strategy for them to follow. You can also have the student team up with a buddy who can answer the questions or provide work that the student missed in class and homework. It’s important to note that you are not always going be able to tell when a student is having a seizure. Many seizures happen without anyone around the person even noticing. So, even if you are not seeing any visible signs of distress it doesn’t mean that the student isn’t going through it. Try to give the student brain breaks along with the rest of the class, because keeping the child active can help keep them focused and stop them from drifting into a seizure.

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         In the event of a Grand Mal seizure where the student begins to shake uncontrollably, the best thing to do is keep calm. Remove objects that might hurt the student and call for medical help. Do not try to restrain their movements. You can lower them on the floor and lay their head on a cushion and turn them sideways. With some seizures the student might also get up all of a sudden and start walking around as if they are sleep walking. If they don’t respond to you trying to wake them, it is best to simply clear things out of their way and block them from walking into walls or doing anything dangerous. With any seizure remain calm and stay with the student throughout the duration of the seizure.

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         Numerous students become embarrassed about having epilepsy. So, it is extremely important to create an atmosphere of acceptance in the classroom. For students who frequently have seizures in the classroom, you might want to take time to educate the class on epilepsy. Epilepsy can be just as hard on the student emotionally as it is physically. Feeling that they are supported and accepted in the classroom will go a long way in helping the student deal with their epilepsy.

Useful Websites

Lava, Neal. “Epilepsy and Your Child’s School.” WebMD, WebMD, 7 May 2016, www.webmd.com/epilepsy/guide/children-school.

“Information for Teacher.” Epilepsy Action Austrailia, 2017, http://www.epilepsy.org.au/about-epilepsy/living-with-epilepsy/information-for-teachers/.

“Epilepsy in Student: The Teacher’s Role.” Epilepsy Foundation Northern California, 8 May 2009, http://www.epilepsynorcal.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Teachers_Role.pdf