Epilepsy and education: the pediatrician's expanding role

School systems, teachers, health systems, and physicians are striving to assist students to reach their full potential. Physicians have an understanding of seizures and medications that should be shared with teachers. In turn, teachers know what parts of students' learning seem to be affected by their epilepsy; they also work with students every day and this gives them a unique perspective of changes in the patient's status. Epilepsy can profoundly affect the student-patient, the school, and the home. Pediatricians are in the unique position to share medical information with teachers and parents. By sharing this information, physicians encourage collaboration. Increased collaboration, in turn, helps to reduce the myths and fears surrounding epilepsy. It provides teachers with the information they use to plan instructional programs, and it improves physicians' decisions regarding diagnosis and treatment. Physician/teacher collaboration is generally advocated for patients-students in the "devastated" and the "compromised" groups. Collaboration is not necessary in patients without problems and it is probably preferable not to risk stigmatizing otherwise intact children by attaching the label "epilepsy" to them. When collaboration is indicated, teachers will need some way of organizing information about students' seizure, educational, medical, and psychosocial background. The appendix contains a list of questions grouped according to these categories. If teachers can answer these questions they will be well on the way to resolving the problems confronting the student with epilepsy. It is hoped that physicians will be available and willing to assist teachers and that teachers will seek their assistance.