I’m a student
“I’m not different from anybody else.”This is great! If you’ve arrived here. That means you are interested in learning more about epilepsy. Maybe your friend has epilepsy. Maybe you have epilepsy and want to know more about how your school can become epilepsy smart? Or perhaps you want to do a project or presentation about epilepsy at school or in your community.
An Epilepsy Smart School is a school where anyone with epilepsy feels confident and safe and can be their best – in their school work, in sports and with their friends.
You can see there are a few things your school needs to do to become Epilepsy Smart.
If at any time you have a question about your epilepsy please contact:
National Epilepsy Support Service
Phone 1300 761 487
Email support@epilepsysmart.org.au
Ensure you or your friend have a management plan
You may need to have an Epilepsy Management Plan (EMP) that your school uses to make sure you are safe at school. You complete this plan with your mum or dad, and sometimes with the help of a doctor. It’s important that if you need emergency medication, your teachers know how to administer it.
Training and classroom resources
There are three key training courses teachers and staff at your school need to complete.
The objectives of the training are to:
- ensure they understand epilepsy, the types of seizures and how to read an Epilepsy Management Plan (EMP)
- understand the types of emergency medication used to treat a seizure and the Emergency Medication Management Plan (EMMP)
- be confident they can administer emergency medication to a student, specific to their EMMP.
Not every student requires emergency medication but most of your teachers will need to complete the first course – An Introduction to Understanding and Managing Epilepsy.
Where emergency medication is required, they will receive training in the administration of this medication in your plan.
Your learning environment
You want to be able to learn just the same way as everyone else at school. You may require additional assistance from teachers to help reduce the effects that sometimes occur from seizures. Schools are responsible for making reasonable adjustments in the classroom related to your Epilepsy Management Plan.
This may include:
- Development of a Student Individual Learning Plan
- Setup of a support group for you
- Adjustment of assessment tasks related to time or reasonable expectations in group work
- Examination adjustments related to increased reading time, breaks or identified trigger considerations
- Engagement of specialist services such as neuropsychologists, psychologists, occupational therapists or speech pathologists
You should be consulted if learning or social issues arise – after all, this is about you and having a great time at school!
Inclusion
An Epilepsy Smart School understands that all students, not just those with epilepsy, face risks in the classroom, in the yard and when you start work placements. There is no reason you cannot do everything else other students do.
This Disclosing your epilepsy – to get the job done is a student resource to help you when you start a work placement.
Raise awareness
There are different actions your school can take to raise awareness about epilepsy. Holding a Make March Purple or Purple Day event is a great way to do this. Promoting awareness of epilepsy helps reduce stigma and ensures people who have epilepsy do not feel alone.
There are other activities a school can undertake other than a Make March Purple event that will achieve the same results. As a student, you can raise this with the school, be seen as a champion for students with epilepsy and help students with epilepsy to never feel alone.
Epilepsy Smart Postcard
Have a look at our Epilepsy Smart Postcard. It will quickly tell you the key facts about epilepsy. If at any time you have a question about your epilepsy please contact:
National Epilepsy Support Service:
Phone: 1300 761 487
Email: support@epilepsysmart.org.au
Epilepsy Smart Quiz
Feeling epilepsy smart? Take the Epilepsy Smart Quiz and find out!