National Epilepsy Week 2019 – New guidelines for schools
National Epilepsy Week is now in full swing and I wanted to tell everyone about the fantastic online guide for schools recently launched by Young Epilepsy.
The guide, which can be found here, was created in response to a survey of 600 adults working in the education sector commissioned by Young Epilepsy which showed that:
- 4 in 10 education professionals have had no training about how to support children with epilepsy;
- A third of those polled wouldn’t’ know when to call for an ambulance in event of a seizure;
- Two thirds of participants had no training about how to support the children with epilepsy in their care
The clear lack of knowledge amongst educational professionals about how to look after a child with epilepsy is all the more surprising given that epilepsy is one of the most common long term conditions in childhood, affecting an average of 112,000 children and young people across the UK.
With the increasing pressures being placed on our schools, it is all the more important that staff have easy access to practical information on how to keep a young person with epilepsy safe, supported and included.
This is where the new guide comes in.
The guide contains all of the essential information needed to best support children with epilepsy including:
- What to do when a child has a seizure;
- The different types of epilepsy;
- Variations in types of seizure;
- The impact that the condition can have on a young person’s development and mental health
I hope that all educational professionals take the time to read and learn from the guide and that, by having essential information at their fingertips, they are better able to care for young people with epilepsy and ensure that they are fully included in school life.
