Saturday 5 April 2014

E is for Epilepsy


Some children at my school suffer from epilepsy.  This has an effect on their ability to concentrate in school and take in information if they are experiencing absence seizures.  Luckily, no child has experienced an epileptic fit whilst at my school.

We tend to use buddy systems in the classroom where other children fill them in on anything they have missed if they have “zoned out” or report to a teacher if the child has been “out” for longer than normal.  Children are always asked if they want to share information about their condition with others and sometimes they want the whole class to know and understand, other times they only want a few trustworthy friends to know – I have yet to come across any child who did not want to share information with at least one other child in class.

Working with parents is paramount to helping these children succeed – either by informing them of the lesson content when their child zoned out a lot so they can go over things again at home, ensuring good self-esteem so they do not believe they are not as bright as their peers (their epilepsy means they have to work harder as they keep missing things) and obviously relaying any particular bad episodes or days and limiting stress which does appear to trigger more incidents.

As always, I would be delighted to have any useful tips shared by other educators or maybe those that suffer from epilepsy of how best teachers can help them learn and retain knowledge.

TpT resource is E is for my newest resource uploaded today! – “ee” phonic jigsaw cards
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/ee-phonic-digraph-jigsaw-puzzles-1195397



On another note – E is also going to be for exercise – 15 minutes a day starting from today!

8 comments:

  1. I had kids in the public school system with challenges that affected learning. I"m so glad you are doing this series for A-to-Z because education and recognition is paramount to helping kids succeed.

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  2. Thank you for your comments. Knowing how much emphasis is put on children attaining higher and higher levels each year (that someone in government has come up with) can have a very discouraging effect on those of us who know how hard those children with learning difficulties actually try all day every day - even when results seem to suggest they can't be because they don't catch up with their peers!

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  3. Wow, what an amazing job you do. I have so much admiration for teachers - it sounds like you have the kids really well prepared. Lovely to meet you here on the AtoZ :)

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    1. Thanks for your comments, Fil. I really do enjoy working with children they make the effort all worthwhile and they amaze me everyday!

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  4. Interesting I came to your blog today (thanks to your comment on MY blog - AtoZ challenge!) because my friend's son has epilepsy - and he had a seizure today while in the bathtub....he was under water for a while (unknown time). A friend/nurse came over to help remove the water from his lungs (not sure how they go about that?!) and thankfully he is ok.
    I actually have 2 friends who cope with this disease in their kids ... One chooses to "home school" (very popular in America these days) and the other sends hers to private school. It definitely does affect their education. The awareness of teachers and peers is so very important!

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    1. Thank you for stopping by, Conny. When we take children with epilepsy swimming we need to have a 1:1 spotter by the poolside to ensure their safety as well as the swimming teacher and lifeguard. It is very interesting to hear what it has happening elsewhere in the world for children with special needs.

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  5. I am so thrilled about your theme. I'm your newest follower and look forward to more posts.

    My little was diagnosed with ADHD, ODD and SIDS. Everyday is an adventure!

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    1. HI D.S.L - thanks for stopping by. I know different countries sometimes use different acronyms so can you tell me what SIDS stands for? I know that ADHD and ODD are linked and this combination must make life very difficult. Do you think society is often even more critical of a girl's behaviour than they would be of a boy's?

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