One of the biggest problems for children with disabilities is a lack of compassion, support and understanding at school, not just from fellow classmates but from teachers too. If a teacher doesn’t understand common conditions such as epilepsy or dyslexia symptoms can often be mistaken for bad behavior.
In a video commercial produced by Laura Yakes, Director of The Center for Seizure and Epilepsy Education in BC, Canada, a typical classroom scenario unfolds where a teacher verbally reprimands a student for her lack of concentration. It’s only when a fellow student points out to the teacher that she has just had a seizure does he realize his mistake.
Even teachers fail to understand that seizures can take many different forms. The seizure depicted in this video is an absence seizure, where the child appears to be fully conscious but in fact has become unaware of her surroundings for a short period of time.
A student’s experience at school can have such a dramatic impact on their confidence, learning and entire future. It’s vital teachers are educated about conditions such as epilepsy. Let’s hope this video will prompt new and old teachers alike, as well as other professionals and care providers, to find out more about seizures so that they are in a position to recognize one whenever it occurs.
To see the video click on the link below:
I couldn't agree more
We often encounter teachers and, to be fair, a lot of other professionals that do not understand my childrens disabilities, or the manifestations of their symptoms... this can lead to misunderstandings that negatively affect my children. As a trainer and speaker, I obviously advocate for continued staff development. I hope more schools and organizations begin to see the need and make the investment. Thanks for bringing up this topic :) Amber Kane