Ensure your school knows how to support students with Epilepsy
Become a seizuresmart school.
FREE TRAINING AVAILABLE for schools in Tauranga , Eastern Bay of Plenty Gisborne and Hutt Valley
If your school is in this region, you can access the learning portal and use the code GRANTSUBSIDY at checkout to complete the training for free.
Access the online course HERE
It is estimated that 1 in 200 students live with epilepsy. Across their career, every Teacher in a New Zealand school will teach at least one child who lives with Epilepsy.
Epilepsy is so much more than just seizures and the impact on concentration, memory, and learning can have lasting effects.
Teachers need seizure-specific training
Epilepsy can have a significant impact on a child’s experience at school due to the impact of seizures and any medication they may be taking, making it hard for a child to concentrate or remember information from class. The stigma and discrimination still felt by many living with epilepsy today can also contribute to these difficulties. There are over 40 types of epilepsy and as every child’s experience of epilepsy is different, supporting them at school will require an individualised approach.
Teachers need to understand the impact of epilepsy on student learning, as well as have epilepsy-specific training in understanding and managing epilepsy.
Schools have a duty of care to provide a safe learning environment for all students and ensure they accommodate the needs of all students. The SeizureSmart schools programme will assist schools in creating this environment.
By becoming a SeizureSmart school, you can demonstrate that your school has a supportive and inclusive learning environment.
The learning module is called New Zealand Introduction to Epilepsy for Educators.
- This 40 minute course will provide teachers with the underpinning knowledge required to support students living with epilepsy.
- There are 13 sections within the module to complete plus the quiz, additional resources that are available to download, and a short feedback summary.
- The course can be completed online at your own pace and a personalised certificate is available for download upon completion.
- There are also additional classroom resources available for download.
0 – 5 Participants – $40 per person
6 – 11 Participants – $32 per person
12+ Participants – $25 per person.
Tip: as you add more participants, the cost will automatically adjust in the payment portal.
Resources for Teachers
Booklet – Children With Epilepsy
Checklist for Parents (Starting or moving schools?)
Learning Conversations (Epilepsy and its possible impacts on learning)
Individual Learning Plan (ILP)
Auditory Processing and Epilepsy
Visual Processing and Epilepsy
For any questions or assistance please email seizuresmart@epilepsy.org.nz