More You Know Series – Sponsored by Mayo Clinic
As summertime comes to an end, the buzz of getting back to school is fast approaching. It is important for families to have a transition plan in place. This plan should address additional considerations and challenges for students with epilepsy and their families. The following tips can help you and your child adjust to the change and have a great start to the new school year.
- Update a seizure action plan each school year. Make sure the right seizure medications are clearly listed. Include instructions that outline how to give treatment if a seizure should occur. Review the plan with school personnel to help avoid unnecessary visits to the emergency department. Most people can avoid a visit to the hospital if the seizure is stopped and there is no injury. Remember, these plans can be used at home too!
- Parents, talk with the teachers. This may be in the form of tracking seizures in a diary. Minnesota has laws requiring school personnel to know how to recognize seizures and act using a student’s seizure action plan.
- Discuss the different options of acute seizure medications with your neurologist. Work together to find the best option for your child and your child’s lifestyle.
- Meet with the school about personalized education services. Section 504 offers protection to students who have an impairment that limits one or more major life activities. Talk with your child’s neurologist to see if neuropsychometric testing to support tailored learning strategies is the right fit.
- Talk it out. It can be scary and exciting to go back to school. Talk with your child about what the new routine is going to look like. Discuss plans for getting proper sleep and when to take medications.
- Stay active. Sports and other activities can be possible with the right safety guidelines in place. Talk to your child’s neurologist if you have any concerns.
Normalizing life with pediatric epilepsy
Lily C. Wong-Kisiel, M.D., a pediatric epileptologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, has helped hundreds of children and their families manage life with epilepsy. She knows how challenging it can be to safeguard health while letting a kid be a kid.
Watch and learn what Dr. Wong-Kisiel tells her Mayo Clinic patients about striking a healthy balance between preventing seizures and allowing for some scrapes.
Learn more about care at Mayo Clinic for epilepsy.
School personnel can find additional resources for seizure recognition and safety on the Epilepsy Foundation website.