Seizure Action Plan For the Classroom

I really can't overstate how important it is to prepare you child's classroom teacher for the possibility of a seizure while at school.  I've always written my own seizure plan, including a list of typical seizures that my daughter experiences, symptoms of the onset of seizures, descriptions of the seizures as they are happening, first aid for her seizures, a list of medication, her doctors' names, the ER I want her to go treated at, and (of course) my phone numbers.  I provide this to the school nurse, and every teacher that she comes in contact with through the day.

Some school make a seizure plan a requirement, and the school nurse, classroom teacher, and an administrator will sit down with you and hammer out the plan.  I had my first experience with this when my daughter had her last special education/IEP meeting.  The making of the seizure plan became part of the IEP process.  I LOVED this.  I felt like the school and her teachers were a very real part of the process to ensure her safety at school.  Every person that works with her now knows what to do if there is a seizure emergency.  It not only gave the school peace of mind that they could handle a seizure event, but it also gave me confidence that she's in good hands if she should have a seizure. 

One last thing, open communication with the school is key to this.  When something new or weird presents itself with my daughter, the first people I contact (aside from the neurologist) is her classroom teacher and the school nurse.  Think about it.  Aside from you, who spends the most time with your child during the day?  Who will be able to document odd behaviors in your child and then tell you?  The classroom teacher is an often untapped resource for this.  I've printed up emails and taken them with me to doctor's appointments to show the doctor that I'm not the only person that has noticed this new/weird behavior.  BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE OPEN COMMUNICATION.  I try to approach the classroom teacher as if she's a part of the treatment process, and in no way do I make the communications adversarial.  If the relationship between teacher and parent becomes strained, it affects so much of your child's education that it becomes a stressful situation for everyone.

I'm including a link to a website that provides a form for a seizure plan.  You can fill it out and print it up to give to your child's school.  Again, I'd give it to the school nurse and the classroom teacher, and then keep several copies for yourself.  They're always nice to have around, just in case.

Providing a Classroom Seizure Plan