TERRYWHITE Chemmart's co-founder Rhonda White (pictured) has joined Epilepsy Queensland in calling for mandatory epilepsy training for schools and childcare centres.
Research has shown a strong correlation between epilepsy and adverse educational outcomes, with knock-ons including early school leaving, unemployment and poverty in adulthood.
Addressing Epilepsy Queensland's annual symposium, White reflected on her son's childhood experiences as she highlighted the need for epilepsy-specific education to help overcome stigma and discrimination.
"Our lives were changed by one smart teacher - Mr Robinson," Rhonda said.
"In Year Four my son's reports had included comments like 'not paying attention' and 'can be disruptive in class'," she observed.
"Nothing that sent up any particular red flags.
"But the following year, his teacher came to me one day saying, 'I think we have a problem we need to solve for your son'.
"With that one sentence, he signalled his preparedness to help and a commitment to inclusivity.
"It transpired that my son had been calling out, standing up and walking around in class for no reason," White explained.
"But this remarkable teacher looked beyond the behaviour and considered the possibility that he might be having seizures.
White explained that he was able to do this as his brother had epilepsy, so he knew the signs.
"Having the insight and courage to see things from a different angle, he set us on a positive path to navigating epilepsy management," White continued.
"I often think, 'thank you Mr Robinson', because that day my son's life was set on the right trajectory to deal with the issues and challenges he was going to face going forward."
Epilepsy Queensland CEO Chris Dougherty said that epilepsy training is about much more than just first aid.
"What we hear from parents is that while there may be members of staff who know how to respond to the seizure itself, educators aren't typically well-equipped to deal with the implications for a child's social, emotional and behavioural development - not to mention their learning," he added.
"If you want to implement appropriate classroom management techniques or deliver the right support, you need to actually understand epilepsy.
"Epilepsy can have a huge impact on a child's experience at school, from the seizures themselves to medication causing problems with concentration, to the effect on social inclusion and, as a result, psychosocial wellbeing.
Dougherty noted that the lack of understanding and awareness can be deeply stigmatising, leading to isolation and discrimination, and said, "we have to do better."
For White, there is no excuse good enough for letting epilepsy slip between the cracks.
"As a pharmacist, it's natural for me to think about improving community awareness.
"Pharmacy, for example, has a long history of educating the public about various conditions.
"We do this for heart health, weight management, asthma, diabetes and more.
"We need epilepsy to get the same attention." JG
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