Teachers’ experiences of managing children with epilepsy in school: A qualitative study

Abstract

BackgroundSchool is the second most important environment for children second to the family. An increasing number of children with epilepsy (CWE) are able to go back to school to continue to study after treatment. In school, CWE can be involved in studies and activities, which is conducive to their growth. However, CWE have to face more barriers than other children in school, such as cognitive impairment, poor attendance, school absenteeism, and learning disability. What is more, even if CWE have been taking antiepileptic medicines, they still have a risk of seizure. Therefore, it is important to ensure the safety of CWE in the school. Teachers play a significant part in managing CWE in school, so we aimed to deeply explore the experiences of school teachers in managing CWE during school. MethodPurposive sampling was used to recruit teachers (n = 17) who cared for children with epilepsy in their class. Semi-structured interviews were used to access qualitative data. Framework analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. ResultFive major themes emerged after analyzing: the recognition of epilepsy, the attitude to children with epilepsy, the barriers to communicate with parents about epilepsy, the reaction to a seizure, and the need for training. ConclusionThe findings of this qualitative study reported teachers’ knowledge of and attitude toward epilepsy, the barriers for them to communicate with parents, the reaction to seizure, and the need for training. Although teachers know little about epilepsy, they have a positive attitude toward CWE. There are many obstacles in terms of the communication between teachers and parents. Parents’ cover-ups and teachers’ lack of professional training will put teachers and CWE at risk. In view of the fact that teachers and parents are not professionals, it is necessary for hospitals to play a coordinating role between the two.