Empowering Children to be Epilepsy Helpers
We are delighted to bring you a guest post today from two of our team, Lea K and Lyn R. Lea is an Educator based in Woodcroft, SA, and Lyn is her daughter and Educator assistant while also being on staff at Foundations part-time as a Field Coordinator. Lyn’s lived experience with epilepsy has made them both passionate about building epilepsy awareness and inclusion in our Family Day Care community. We value their knowledge, experience, wisdom, and generosity in sharing with us today.
In Australia, March is Epilepsy Awareness Month. It is estimated that over 250,000 Australians are living with epilepsy, and approximately 3% of Australians will experience epilepsy at some point in their lives. As a family with multiple generations affected by epilepsy, we believe wholeheartedly in the importance of teaching everyone, including children, about epilepsy and how to support those around them who live with this condition. We’re excited to share this knowledge with you so that you can empower your community to be a safer place for those with epilepsy.
Although the whole month of March is a time to promote epilepsy awareness and action, Purple Day for Epilepsy is on the 26th. Around this time each year, we have an epilepsy awareness event that is both educational and engaging, providing valuable knowledge and life-saving skills to both children and Educators. This has become a favourite event in the FFDC calendar and is attended by Educators local to us and their children annually.
By incorporating activities such as dressing in purple, using purple Play-Doh, and including epilepsy mascots, we create a fun and immersive experience that helps reinforce the importance of awareness and understanding. Teaching children and Educators about different types of seizures and what they may look like prepares them to respond calmly and appropriately in real-life situations. The hands-on practice of the recovery position is particularly valuable, as it not only applies to epilepsy but can also be used in other emergencies, such as when someone stops breathing. Recognising that some children may struggle to push someone into the position, we adapt the lesson by teaching them how to pull instead, ensuring that everyone has a role in providing assistance.
It has been impressive and encouraging to see how even very young children are able to pull someone into the recovery position to ensure they are safe. We have also been touched by the stories of former daycare children who are now at school and have classmates with epilepsy. One boy learned about his friend’s epilepsy and told him, “Don’t worry, if you have a seizure, I know what to do. I’ll help you be safe.” The boy’s mother shared with us how proud she was that her son was able to be so reassuring to his friend, and also how much more relaxed the friend became knowing his classmate could help him if needed.
EYLF Learning Outcome 4 is that “children are confident and involved learners,” and it has been wonderful to see children’s confidence increase throughout the time we have been running our Family Day Care Purple Day. We strongly encourage you to do something similar in your local area to spread these empowering skills to communities around Australia.