Parents and carers in Northern Ireland

Introduction

Will epilepsy affect my child’s learning?

Most children with epilepsy have the same range of intelligence and abilities as children without the condition, and attend ordinary nurseries, schools and colleges. Some children who have epilepsy need extra help in their education. This extra help could be first aid for seizures, a place to rest after a seizure, or extra supervision during some activities. It could also mean support if a child has learning difficulties or special educational needs. Support for a child’s learning and education is usually organised by the school or the authority through the Special Educational Needs (SEN) framework.

Talking to school

Parents and schools should regularly keep each other informed. How much you tell your child’s school is your choice as a parent. Some parents don’t want to tell the school that their child has epilepsy. But even if your child’s seizures are well controlled, there are lots of positive reasons for keeping the school informed. For example:

Your child may be entitled to extra help through the SEN framework.
Teachers and support staff can watch out for potential problems, such as seizures, side effects of medicine, and any difficulties with learning.
Your child is safer if the staff know what to do in an emergency.
If you feel the school is discriminating against your child, you are protected by the law, but only if the school knows about your child’s epilepsy.

You may be worried that your child will be excluded from activities if the school knows about their epilepsy. One way to prevent this is to tell the school about any activities your child’s doctor or nurse has said should be avoided. You should also tell the school about any precautions that are needed, such as supervision in the swimming pool.

By keeping the school informed about your child’s epilepsy, you can make sure the school addresses any needs your child may have. Bear in mind that if you chose not to tell anyone at school about your child’s condition, and your child came to harm in some way because of their epilepsy, it is unlikely the school would be responsible. Under the Disability Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order (DDO), you only need to tell one responsible person at school (such as the principal), about your child’s epilepsy. Once you have done this, the school has a duty to make sure your child is not discriminated against.

More information about disability discrimination

Who should I talk to at the school?

The principal is in charge of a school, and usually takes responsibility for decisions at school level. This responsibility may be shared with a governing body, which may include people representing parents, teachers, religious organisations, and the government.

The principal shares some responsibilities with the special educational needs Co-ordinator (SENCO). For example, the SENCO will make sure that pupils with special educational needs are identified, and that their needs are met as far as possible.

More information about special educational needs (SEN)

If there is a school nurse or matron, they will probably provide services such as health education. The nurse may keep records of pupils’ illnesses or medical conditions and give medicine and first aid. Some schools, especially residential schools, have a full time matron or nurse, but many do not. Some schools have a member of staff with responsibilities for medical needs. This is often a member of support staff, such as a pupil welfare auxiliary (PWA), and this person may look after medicines and give medication and first aid.

What is special educational needs (SEN)?

Some children need extra help in education, because they have difficulties with learning. The special educational needs framework describes the way that extra help is provided. Pupils can get support on a sliding scale, according to their needs. This can start in an early years setting (pre-school) and go right through to further or higher education (college or university), and the level of support can change up or down over time.

What is the Disability Discrimination Order?

The Disability Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 (DDO) is a law that protects people with disabilities. Although you may not consider your child as “disabled”, the law protects all people with epilepsy. This applies to government-funded and private education. The Special Educational Needs and Disability (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 (SENDO) works with the DDO to allow people with disabilities to be fully included and considered in the education system.