The Issues of Disclosure & First Aid
Deciding whether or not to disclose a diagnosis of epilepsy is a personal choice. If your epilepsy is uncontrolled, your need for safety will most likely take precedence. You will want others around you or your child to know appropriate first aid. Your medical team can develop a seizure action plan that will explain your seizures or those of your child, what activities might need to be avoided, what the prescribed medications and their side effects are, whether medication will need to be dispensed at school, who should be notified in the event of a seizure, when a seizure is a medical emergency, and what help is needed during a seizure. If seizures are well controlled, it will be your choice to let others know about your epilepsy or that of your child. Full disclosure offers the highest level of safety. Non-disclosure offers privacy. You will need to carefully weigh the need for safety against the need for privacy. Parents might want to bear in mind that asking their child to keep their seizures a secret may lead them to believe that they have something to hide. This could create feelings of guilt and lower self-esteem. Only you know what would be the best decision. Choosing wisely is the first step in designing a strong academic career.