ERIC Number: EJ1195877
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Nov
Pages: 16
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0164-775X
EISSN: N/A
Supporting Students with Epilepsy in the School Setting
McGeehan, Brittany
Communique, v47 n3 p8, 10 Nov 2018
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders in children, affecting approximately 0.5% to 1% of children through the age of 16 years. Between 20,000 and 45,000 children are diagnosed annually with newly recognized seizures with the median age of onset between 5 and 6 years of age. In 2018 the Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimated that approximately 6 in every 1,000 students in a school would have epilepsy. Compared with students with other health concerns, a CDC study shows that students aged 6-17 years with epilepsy were more likely to miss 11 or more days of school in the past year. In addition, students with epilepsy were more likely to have difficulties in school, use special education services, and have activity limitations such as less participation in sports or clubs as compared with their same aged peers with other medical conditions. The CDC also found that a larger percentage of children with epilepsy than those without the disorder lived in very low-income households (CDC, 2018). This suggests other unmet needs for children with epilepsy, their families, as well as the school staff supporting these students. A school psychologist holds a privileged position in that they have the ability to not only support children and their families, but also to educate and support staff to create a holistic support system for these children. The purpose of this article is to provide a general overview of the domains relative to serving a child with epilepsy.
Descriptors: Epilepsy, Student Needs, Special Needs Students, At Risk Persons, Low Income Students, School Psychologists, Evaluation Methods, Academic Achievement, Student Evaluation, Elementary Secondary Education
National Association of School Psychologists. 4340 East West Highway Suite 402, Bethesda, MD 20814. Tel: 301-657-0270; Fax: 301-657-0275; e-mail: publications@naspweb.org; Web site: http://www.nasponline.org/publications/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: Counselors
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A