Talking to Children about Epilepsy

The Wyoming Epilepsy Association can help your child’s class understand epilepsy. For more information, contact the Wyoming Epilepsy Association in Cheyenne at 634-5329 (or toll free 1-866-634-5329).

For many people, a seizure is shocking and scary, and is something that children should be protected against witnessing. But, what if a fellow kindergartener has seizures? How can a six-year old make sense of what happens to their classmate during a seizure? One teacher took a straightforward approach with her class, and the children responded thoughtfully to their classmate’s misfortune.

Trey is a six-year old who was born with multiple birth defect syndrome. He suffers from many problems such as bone disorder, asthma, developmental delay, and low muscle tone. To add to it, Trey also suffers from intractable epilepsy, meaning that doctors have been unable to control his seizures despite continued treatment.

Though Trey has had generalized tonic-clonic seizures, drop attacks, and complex partial seizures, myoclonic seizures are his main problem. These seizures cause Trey to experience sudden, brief, involuntary muscle jerks. They last only a few moments but they will cause Trey to drop, or throw, anything he is holding, will cause his head to drop forward, and may cause a brief loss of consciousness. Not being able to control these seizures is frustrating for Trey’s parents, doctors, and teachers who want to see him live life without the complications of seizures.

Having up to 50 seizures a week, Trey’s kindergarten class frequently sees him having seizures. Recently, the class took some time out from their regular activities to learn about epilepsy. The following is an excerpt from a letter that Trey’s mother wrote about what happened on what she called “Trey’s Day.”

"The teacher read the kids the story “Dotty the Dalmatian has Epilepsy.” It was so good. Those kids were so upset when the dog had a seizure and the mommy had to rub Dotty's belly. They kept asking.... “What happened?” After the story, the teacher said, “Someone in our classroom has epilepsy too,” and one little girl said, “I know I know, its Trey!” and Trey said, “Hey you are right.... it is me!” So the teacher had Trey come stand in front of the class.

They talked about his Medic Alert bracelet and how if Trey got lost or hurt that someone could help him because he was wearing this bracelet. She told the kids that some days they may see Trey fall to the ground and jerk and shake, just like Dotty the dog did, but that it was ok. The kids all said, “OK.” She asked Trey if he got tired too after he has a seizure and he said, “yes”. Then she asked him if there was anything that he wanted to tell the class about his epilepsy. Well, it takes him awhile to get things out but he told them he had to take medicine but he should be all right. By then I was in tears I was so proud of him.