Atonic Seizures: Tips for School Attendance in the Epileptic Child

Seizures disorders in children are quite common and are often discouraging to the child who suffers from them. If you are the parent of a child who has a seizure disorder, such as atonic seizures, it is important to prepare your child for a life with minimal parental supervision and to teach your child how to manage their own seizure complications when away from home.

Atonic seizures are a type of seizure that can be quite alarming to those who are not familiar with them. While typically associated with epilepsy, the atonic seizure is one in which the body falls into a relaxed state followed by falling to the ground, and sudden muscle rigidity and movement. For those who are unfamiliar with the seizure and the outcome, the sudden change in a seizure patient's stability can be alarming.

When your child begins to go to school, it is important to discuss the issues of atonic seizure with not only your child but also the teachers who will be providing education to the child in the classroom setting. With atonic seizures, the onset of the seizure is often recognizable by the child but may not be readily apparent to a teacher or surrounding students. With muscle relaxation, especially in the neck muscles, as a key indicator a child often knows when the atonic seizure is about to begin.

Assuring your child that seizure activity only lasts for 15 seconds, and that no injury or harm will come to them while at school, it is important. Help your child understand when the seizure will begin and to position themselves in an area where they will not fall into a piece of school furniture or fall into the path of another student. By helping your child prepare for the seizure activity, there will be fewer fears about attending school. If your child has some anxiety associated with the atonic seizures, then work on a self EMDR program that can help with relaxation.

Educating your child's teacher about atonic seizures is also important and especially important to ensure that your child is kept safe when a seizure occurs at school. By allowing the seizure to take place, and then encouraging five to 10 minutes of relaxation, the incident will pass typically without any further complications. By preparing the teacher for the possible issues of seizure in the classroom, a routine for health can be developed and your child can be monitored more closely while at school.

Sources: The Official Parent's Sourcebook on Febrile Seizures, by Icon Health Publications.