Parent-Teacher Communication

When good communications exist between parents and teachers, the teacher can feel comfortable asking questions that will help him do his best for the child. These questions may include:

• What kind of seizures does the child have?
• What do they look like?
• How often does he or she have them?
• How long do they usually last?
• Is medicine going to be given or taken at school?
• What arrangements have been made for that?
• What has been the child's previous experience with epilepsy at school?

If the child is having very infrequent seizures, or has complete seizure control, this kind of basic information may be all that is needed.

However, if the seizures are frequent, the teacher will want to discuss with the parents how they should be handled, how he or she plans to explain the condition to the other children, whether there are any learning disabilities, and whether the child has an understanding of his disorder and would feel comfortable answering questions that the other children might have. If the child is old enough and the parents agree, he or she could be part of the discussion.