The International Federation for Child Rights and Defense (IFCRD) proceeds from a firm principle: protecting a child with epilepsy is achieved through immediate preparedness, practical intervention within schools and centers, and the creation of a safe, informed environment capable of responding without fear or stigma.
What is Epilepsy? (Understanding Is the Foundation of Protection)
Epilepsy is a neurological condition resulting from a temporary disruption in the brain’s electrical activity. It may appear as generalized convulsive seizures, brief episodes of loss of awareness (absence seizures), or partial motor seizures. Not every convulsion is epilepsy, and not every case of epilepsy involves severe convulsions—making awareness and training an essential necessity.
Seizure Triggers in Educational Settings
The likelihood of seizures increases in the presence of factors such as sleep deprivation, psychological stress, intense lighting or flashing lights, missed medication doses, fever, or physical exhaustion. Hence, the importance of an informed educational environment capable of reducing these triggers rather than ignoring them.
Individual Safety Plan for a Child with Epilepsy
The Federation emphasizes the necessity of having a written safety plan for every child with epilepsy within schools or centers. This plan should include the type and duration of seizures, warning signs, steps for medical intervention, emergency contact numbers, and rescue medications if prescribed. Such a plan protects the child from confusion and improper responses, ensuring an organized intervention that preserves dignity.
Immediate Intervention During a Seizure
When a seizure occurs, the area should be secured, the child placed on their side with head protection, and their movements should not be restrained. No object should be inserted into the mouth, and the seizure duration should be timed accurately. Emergency services must be contacted immediately if the seizure lasts more than five minutes or recurs without regaining consciousness.
The Federation’s Role: Intervention and Care, Not Stigmatization
The International Federation for Child Rights and Defense affirms that its role in this matter is humanitarian, intervention-based, and therapeutic. This includes training educational staff on immediate seizure response, supporting schools and centers in developing safety plans and equipping safe first-aid environments, providing field consultations, and protecting the child psychologically by preventing bullying and promoting a culture of informed inclusion.
A child with epilepsy does not need pity, but preparedness, knowledge, and rapid intervention that safeguard life and dignity. Together, we transform fear into awareness, confusion into procedure, and seizures into controlled, humane situations.
