Medical management of a seizure disorder is not always totally effective. Students who have disclosed medical conditions are encouraged to communicate with their professors about what to expect, and what they want to have happen in the event of a medical episode. Most staff and faculty are not medical personnel, so in the event of a medical episode such as a seizure, always do what is best for the student, and do not hesitate to call 911if you are concerned.
Follow this link (First Aid for Seizures) to a one-page guide from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC instructions to follow during a seizure are also outlined below.
Please contact Public Safety and/or SAS if you have any disability-related questions about how to respond to an emergency in the classroom.
A seizure is a sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain that usually affects how a person feels or acts for a short time. Some seizures can hardly be noticed, while others are totally disabling.
Students may be aware when a seizure with convulsions is coming on. The seizures may last from 1 to 3 minutes, and consciousness returns slowly. Students may be drowsy, confused, agitated, or depressed when it’s over.
Some students have seizures that are difficult to notice. They may “blank out” anywhere from a few seconds to 20 seconds at a time. During the seizure, the students won’t be able to hear you, may blink repetitively, make chewing movements, or just stare. They may be completely alert following this kind of seizure.
What to do before a seizure:
(Retrieved from CDC First Aid for Seizures, January 20, 2014)
During a Seizure:
A seizure with blank staring, loss of awareness, and/or involuntary facial movements:
After a seizure: