4,400 Iowa kids have epilepsy. Schools need seizure safety training.

A lack of training and understanding of seizure disorders contributes to the stigma students experience and represents a danger to students affected by epilepsy.

Over 4,400 Iowa kids endure the challenges of managing their epilepsy in school buildings across the state with educators who have little or no training in seizure recognition or first aid. Iowa’s children living with seizure disorders serve a safe and enriching environment to achieve academic success. Educators deserve to have proper training to respond to one of the top three health conditions school age children in Iowa experience.

As a neurologist with 30 years of clinical practice, I play a significant role in management and treatment of my young patients affected by seizures. However, I am not the only individual responsible for their health and safety. You may have heard it takes a village to raise a child. That is also the case with children who experience seizures. Teachers and school staff play a significant role in the health and safety of their students every day. Effective communication between all of us is essential to the successful management and treatment of epilepsy.

You might not know, but there are many types of seizures. Their presentation looks different depending on the individual. Symptoms can include temporary confusion, staring spells, uncontrollable jerking of the arms and legs, loss of consciousness or awareness, and cognitive or emotional symptoms, such as fear. You can imagine how scary this can be if you are responsible for ensuring student safety but do not know how to recognize a seizure.

Students spend most of their waking hours at school and deserve to be in a safe environment. However, Iowa doesn’t require seizure training for school staff thus they are not prepared to identify and properly respond when a seizure occurs. Twenty-three states, including the surrounding states of Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, and Minnesota, have taken charge of this and require seizure safe schools training.

A lack of training and understanding of seizure disorders contributes to the stigma students experience and represents a danger to students affected by epilepsy. As a physician and individual living with epilepsy, I understand the stigma and fear associated with epilepsy. Seizures are most common for individuals under the age of 18. Many students are sent home by their teachers following a seizure. This forces them to miss school and fall behind academically. Students with a seizure disorder miss 11 or more days of school each year on average. It does not have to be that way. With the proper training and education, school staff will be prepared to help students experiencing seizures.

Seizures are scary for both students and teachers, which is why the Epilepsy Foundation of Iowa and advocates like me have been pushing for the passage of House File 608, Iowa’s Seizure Safe Schools Act which unanimously passed the Iowa House during the 2023 legislative session. This legislation will give our school staff the tools to improve the care and support of students with epilepsy and seizure disorders. It will additionally reduce the number of days missed by students and the unnecessary costs to the healthcare system.

We need to ensure school staff have the tools to keep Iowa kids safe. I hope this serves as a call to action, one which will help our loved ones, friends, and neighbors with epilepsy. I call on the Iowa Senate to pass the Seizure Safe Schools Act to keep our children safe. For more information, please feel free to contact the Epilepsy Foundation of America, at 515-282-3580. Together, we can improve the quality of life of thousands of Iowans and keep our children safe at school.

Dr. David Moore lives in Ames.