just another school day!!

[teacherman]

as a teacher with epilepsy that also plays contact sport (Hockey Goal Keeper) and dealing with students every day that have epilepsy its strage i think and funny to find in this day and age that so many people even young teenagers feel so bad about having epilepsy yet as a medical condition it varies so much. so i therefore try to explain to them and adults that its just like people that have asthma some use thier puffers all the time yet others hardly ever need to use them, yet in society many see us people to be afraid of. which as many of you here i guess get annoyed with. i am just wondering what some of you out there think i know it has taken myself a while to get my work colegues to see that im fine and they have nothing to worry about with me and what to do if something does. i found telling a few jokes did help and by me talking with staff members it also i found put them at ease with dealing with students who have epilepsy too!

[Nakamova]

Hi teacherman --

I have also used the asthma analogy. And I often say "seizure disorders" along with "epilepsy" so people can learn that epilepsy is a very loose, wide-ranging diagnosis. Also that it is a "disorder" rather than a "disease". There are a lot of myths about epilepsy, and it can be scary to witness a tonic-clonic, so the more firsthand education people get, the better.

Best,
Nakamova

[Cint]

Hi teacher,

When my two children were in elementary school, I used to go and read to their classes. I would make sure I would that sometime during the school year to read a story about someone with epilepsy to the class, and then I would tell them that I, too, have epilepsy. I believe in educating them early. And my son had a bad case of asthma, so when my two witnessed my seizures, I would tell them that just like his asthma, epilepsy is a condition and there is no need to be embarrassed or ashamed. I still use the word epilepsy. Otherwise, people don't seem to take it seriously when I say seizure disorder. IMO, that is why there is such a wide range diagnosis.

[skillefer]

Hello from a fellow teacher!

I find that the kids are pretty good at dealing with my seizures when I tell them about it at the beginning of each semester. I give them the entire spiel, and tell them what they can and should not do if I have one. My colleagues are really good about it too...