A key factor in ensuring your child’s safety in situations where you will not be in attendance is to inform a responsible person about your child’s epilepsy and how to deal with a seizure.
You can use the information in the pages on "What to Do in Case of a Seizure" and "When to Call 911 or Emergency Medical Services" as a template.
You may also want to create a checklist that is specific to your child, based on the information from this site, including important phone numbers and information relevant to your own situation. When informing staff at your child’s school, you can give the checklist to each of the key school personnel. It is important to make sure that school personnel understand the information and how to use it in the event of an emergency.
Significant people to inform at the school may include your child’s school bus driver, his teachers, the school principal, the school nurse, his coaches, and any other supervisors, instructors, or caregivers with whom he may spend time.
Depending on the type of epilepsy your child has, you can talk to your school administrator or principal about additional safeguards in case of falls or seizures, such as handrails on staircases and cushioning or eliminating sharp edges in the classroom.
In some cases, a child may be assigned an assistant who accompanies him throughout the day to ensure safety. In this situation, a discussion about ensuring safety while allowing for an appropriate level of independence will be important to address. This discussion should include your child as much as he is able to contribute.
Depending on the frequency of your child’s seizures and the chance of dirtying his clothes, you may wish to keep a change of clothes at school.
Be sure to inform other people at the places where your child will be spending time about his epilepsy and how to handle a seizure. This may include caregivers, family, friends, and staff or volunteers at his extracurricular activities.
Medical alert bracelets or tags
To help safeguard your child's health, and for your own peace of mind, you may want to consider getting a medical alert bracelet or ID tag for your child. This is a very simple and reasonably priced device which is usually worn around the wrist.
These are ID tags that children and adults wear all the time that identify a serious medical condition. Paramedics and other health care professionals are trained to look for medical alert bracelets and read the information engraved on the back. This is especially important for older children, particularly if your child spends time away from you, such as at school, at camp, or on a trip. The bracelet ensures that should he have seizures, persons treating him will know that he has epilepsy and take it into account.
Some companies, such as MedicAlert, provide an additional service where health care professionals can call a 24-hour emergency hotline to access the person’s confidential medical record. There is usually a one-time setup charge and an annual membership fee associated with this service.
Medic Alert also supports the “No Child Without” program, which provides free medical alert ID tags to schoolchildren aged 4 to 13 years. You must register for the program through your child’s school.