Creating Inclusive School Environments: Recommendations for the Management of Neurobehavioral Comorbidities in Children with Epilepsy
There are many neurobehavioral comobidities associated with epilepsy such as physical challenges, emotional challenges, behavioral challenges, and social challenges. Poor functioning amongst these various challenges can have a negative affect on academic success and school adjustment. School is significant in child's development of these physical, social, academic, and emotional needs. Epilepsy is the most frequently diagnosed neurological condition affecting children. With epilepsy it comes with many complications such as excessive fatigue, cognitive impairments, psychiatric disorders, and other behavioral problems. Schools can best support children with epilepsy.
Children with epilepsy have many physical challenges such as excessive fatigue, memory impairment, headaches, and visual impairments. These challenges disrupt daily functioning and school adjustment. Excessive fatigue can occur right after a seizure or several hours later. Excessive fatigue experience cognitive slowing and memory difficulties. Children with epilepsy struggle to retain information in short term memory or process information in working memory. Memory is important for learning these deficits impact a child's ability to learn and succeed in school. Concentration difficulties from headaches interfere with academic functioning. These challenges might be misinterpreted by teachers as distractions, lack of interest, or absentmindedness. These issues can compromise academic achievement.
Children with epilepsy also display emotional challenges such as anxiety and depression. They show intense emotional distress or sadness. Children might refuse to go to school and be socially withdrawn from their peers. These children feel embarrassed when a seizure occurs in front of their peers. These depressive and anxious thoughts hinder the ability to concentrate and learn and process the new information. With these anxious and and depressive thoughts it makes school focus poor and academic underachievement more stressful for the child.
Behavioral problems are a challenge for individuals with epilepsy. ADHD and aggression are common with epilepsy. Higher rates of aggression are found in epilepsy. Onset of a seizure can be a behavioral issue such as becoming aggressive or irritable. Attention and concentration difficulties can make completing academic tasks difficult for a child which leads to academic underachievement. These students with aggressive behaviors may be removed from a mainstream setting and do not get he opportunity to develop social skills with their peers.
Social challenges with children with epilepsy include social isolation. Children feel different from their peers and lack self-confidence. These children worry about having a seizure in front of their peers. They might not engage with peers. Parents often may isolate their child and place restrictions on a child's ability to engage socially with their peers. They may have low self-esteem which will have a negative impact on their academic achievement.
Teachers and educators have a vital role when observing behaviors of children with epilepsy. Teachers are the first to observe the behaviors that develop or worsen in epilepsy. Often educators lack the knowledge required to intervene when behaviors occur. The article said there is a growing need for opportunities to help school professionals learn to recognize and deal with health issues surrounding epilepsy. Accurate descriptions of school behavior will help doctors and parents monitor how the child is reacting to medications. School safety plan will help teachers and peers know how to react in an event of a seizure and create a safe environment for the child. As the above challenges contribute to poor academic functioning and social isolation it is important that these challenges are not overlooked. As educators we address the issues and give the accommodations as needed.
I found the article very interesting about the emotional aspect of epilepsy and the complications it has on anxiety and depression. I find the complications with epilepsy common in academics. They often cannot retain the information due to the working memory. The article did not discuss the sample that was used when conducting the information of child with epilepsy. I would be curious of the age of the children that were interviewed. As teachers, when we work with children with medical needs it is important to document and find behavior changes and let parents know what is happening in the classroom. Sometimes the child's safety is more important that their academic needs. Keeping the child safe is the main concern.
MacKinnon, C., Roberts, J., & Wylie, J. (2016). Creating inclusive school environments: Recommendations for the management of neurobehavioural comorbidities in children with epilepsy. Canadian Journal Of School Psychology, 31(1), 17-26.
Children with epilepsy have many physical challenges such as excessive fatigue, memory impairment, headaches, and visual impairments. These challenges disrupt daily functioning and school adjustment. Excessive fatigue can occur right after a seizure or several hours later. Excessive fatigue experience cognitive slowing and memory difficulties. Children with epilepsy struggle to retain information in short term memory or process information in working memory. Memory is important for learning these deficits impact a child's ability to learn and succeed in school. Concentration difficulties from headaches interfere with academic functioning. These challenges might be misinterpreted by teachers as distractions, lack of interest, or absentmindedness. These issues can compromise academic achievement.
Children with epilepsy also display emotional challenges such as anxiety and depression. They show intense emotional distress or sadness. Children might refuse to go to school and be socially withdrawn from their peers. These children feel embarrassed when a seizure occurs in front of their peers. These depressive and anxious thoughts hinder the ability to concentrate and learn and process the new information. With these anxious and and depressive thoughts it makes school focus poor and academic underachievement more stressful for the child.
Behavioral problems are a challenge for individuals with epilepsy. ADHD and aggression are common with epilepsy. Higher rates of aggression are found in epilepsy. Onset of a seizure can be a behavioral issue such as becoming aggressive or irritable. Attention and concentration difficulties can make completing academic tasks difficult for a child which leads to academic underachievement. These students with aggressive behaviors may be removed from a mainstream setting and do not get he opportunity to develop social skills with their peers.
Social challenges with children with epilepsy include social isolation. Children feel different from their peers and lack self-confidence. These children worry about having a seizure in front of their peers. They might not engage with peers. Parents often may isolate their child and place restrictions on a child's ability to engage socially with their peers. They may have low self-esteem which will have a negative impact on their academic achievement.
Teachers and educators have a vital role when observing behaviors of children with epilepsy. Teachers are the first to observe the behaviors that develop or worsen in epilepsy. Often educators lack the knowledge required to intervene when behaviors occur. The article said there is a growing need for opportunities to help school professionals learn to recognize and deal with health issues surrounding epilepsy. Accurate descriptions of school behavior will help doctors and parents monitor how the child is reacting to medications. School safety plan will help teachers and peers know how to react in an event of a seizure and create a safe environment for the child. As the above challenges contribute to poor academic functioning and social isolation it is important that these challenges are not overlooked. As educators we address the issues and give the accommodations as needed.
I found the article very interesting about the emotional aspect of epilepsy and the complications it has on anxiety and depression. I find the complications with epilepsy common in academics. They often cannot retain the information due to the working memory. The article did not discuss the sample that was used when conducting the information of child with epilepsy. I would be curious of the age of the children that were interviewed. As teachers, when we work with children with medical needs it is important to document and find behavior changes and let parents know what is happening in the classroom. Sometimes the child's safety is more important that their academic needs. Keeping the child safe is the main concern.
MacKinnon, C., Roberts, J., & Wylie, J. (2016). Creating inclusive school environments: Recommendations for the management of neurobehavioural comorbidities in children with epilepsy. Canadian Journal Of School Psychology, 31(1), 17-26.
I also find the emotional component a fascinating and under-discussed topic when it comes to epilepsy. When you think about it, it has to be so nerve-wracking to not know if you may or may not have a seizure that day. We have a student in our building with severe epilepsy, and she has severe anxiety because she is afraid of having a seizure in front of her classmates (7th grade).
ReplyDelete