School Epilepsy and Seizure Awareness Newsletter: What Families and Educators Need to Know

Epilepsy affects approximately 1 in 100 school-age children. In a school of 500 students, that means roughly five students are managing the condition at any given time. Most of those students want to participate fully in school life. What they need is a school community that knows what to do, without panic or unnecessary restriction.

Understanding Different Seizure Types

The most recognized seizure type involves convulsions and loss of consciousness. But many students with epilepsy have seizure types that look nothing like this. Absence seizures cause brief staring spells, usually lasting a few seconds, during which the student is unresponsive. They may be mistaken for daydreaming or inattention.

Complex partial seizures may involve repetitive movements, confused or automatic behavior, or emotional changes. A student experiencing one of these seizures is not being disruptive. They are experiencing a neurological event they cannot control. Teachers who have basic awareness of seizure presentations are equipped to respond rather than escalate.

What to Do During a Seizure

Every student with epilepsy should have a seizure action plan on file with the school nurse. That plan is the guide for every staff member who responds to a seizure involving that specific student. Families should ensure the plan is current at the start of every school year and after any change in the student's condition or medication.

General seizure first aid applies in the absence of a specific plan: keep the student safe, time the seizure, stay with them, and contact the nurse immediately. Do not restrain. Do not put anything in the mouth. Call 911 if the seizure lasts more than five minutes.

Accommodations Available at School

Students with epilepsy may qualify for a 504 accommodation plan that addresses their specific academic and health needs. Common accommodations include extended time on tests to account for medication effects or post-seizure fatigue, permission to leave class to take medication, modified physical activity requirements, and a quiet space to recover after a seizure.

Families who have not yet requested accommodations but whose child is experiencing academic difficulty related to their epilepsy should contact the school counselor or nurse to begin the process.

What Families Can Do to Support School Success

Ensure the seizure action plan is updated and submitted before the start of school. Share any changes in medication, seizure frequency, or neurologist guidance with the nurse immediately. Let the student's teacher know about the condition in a brief conversation, so the teacher is not managing a seizure for the first time without any context.

Families can also talk to their child about who at school knows about their epilepsy and what the student is comfortable with peers knowing. Some students prefer full transparency; others want only necessary adults informed.

Supporting Belonging and Reducing Stigma

Students with epilepsy sometimes face social challenges related to seizures happening at school. A classmate who witnesses a seizure may be frightened, confused, or unkind. Schools can address this through brief, age-appropriate classroom conversations about epilepsy when a student's family gives permission, and by reinforcing inclusion values in school culture.