Teacher with Epilepsy

[ameliatan]

Dear Fellow Teachers,
 
I hope this is alright to post here! I have been teaching for about 7 years, and I have a medical problem called Epilepsy. All these years, it has never affected my ability to teach.  I have mild seizures once in a while, and I appear to be day-dreaming. It lasts a few minutes.
 
Just recently, I notice my seizures are causing me to do things unconsciously e.g. walk into my room and change my clothes - all unconsciously! I kind of 'wake' up later, and realized what I had done.
 
I have a student whom I enjoy teaching very much. She is talented and enjoys playing. Just last week, my worst fears came true. During the lesson I had a seizure   I went to my room, took my clothes off, and changed to another. I then went back in again the studio, I came out and changed again! I even took her sweater I found on the chair, and put in the washing machine - for no reason!
 
After, I realized what i had done. My student smiled and said, you changed your clothes. I quickly make up a story, and said my blouse was uncomfortable.
 
Now, I really don't know what to do! I am sure she will tell her mother what happened I am very scared to tell the mother the truth, as I risk losing this student.  If she ask, I feel like making up a story. Should I tell her the truth? Do any of you teachers have medical problems, and did it affect your ability to teach and parents to understand?

[mjames]

I think the best case scenario is to tell them the truth. It might make your episodes easier to deal with if someone you trust is there and knows about it. just my two cents...

[iansinclair]

Absolutely.  Tell her -- and her mother -- the truth, the very next chance you get.  Explain the nature of the condition and what it is, clearly and completely.  It's only scary to someone who doesn't know about it and understand it (or who has it!).

One of two things will happen -- the most likely is that both your student and her mother will become more helpful and more sympathetic with you.  They may even be quite helpful -- or at least try to be -- and if they are then you can help them help you.

I'll grant that there is a small chance that the mother (much more likely than the student) will be upset, and may want to quit.  It's not likely, but... you can't be positive.  If she is, however, it is much better that she know the truth than make up some fantasy of her own.

[asiantraveller101]

It is best to disclose this to your students' parents. You want to safeguard yourself from any future misunderstanding. Imaging this hypothetical scenario: you unknowingly started changing your clothes in front of the student. You may land into big trouble there. At least with disclosure, you have  a first line of defense in place.

[louispodesta]

Dear Fellow Teachers,
 
I hope this is alright to post here! I have been teaching for about 7 years, and I have a medical problem called Epilepsy. All these years, it has never affected my ability to teach.  I have mild seizures once in a while, and I appear to be day-dreaming. It lasts a few minutes.
 
Just recently, I notice my seizures are causing me to do things unconsciously e.g. walk into my room and change my clothes - all unconsciously! I kind of 'wake' up later, and realized what I had done.
 
I have a student whom I enjoy teaching very much. She is talented and enjoys playing. Just last week, my worst fears came true. During the lesson I had a seizure   I went to my room, took my clothes off, and changed to another. I then went back in again the studio, I came out and changed again! I even took her sweater I found on the chair, and put in the washing machine - for no reason!
 
After, I realized what i had done. My student smiled and said, you changed your clothes. I quickly make up a story, and said my blouse was uncomfortable.
 
Now, I really don't know what to do! I am sure she will tell her mother what happened I am very scared to tell the mother the truth, as I risk losing this student.  If she ask, I feel like making up a story. Should I tell her the truth? Do any of you teachers have medical problems, and did it affect your ability to teach and parents to understand?

I am going to keep my response limited, in that you need to respond to me by PM.  Because, this is a very sensitive inquiry.  You problem is not and cannot be correctly addressed in a public forum such as this, in my opinion.