For health workers

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HealthWiki > Epilepsy and Seizures > Chapter 8: Talking with children about epilepsy and seizures > For health workers

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In this chapter:

 

In this chapter:

• Chapter 8: Talking with children about epilepsy and seizures
• Communicating with babies (birth to 2 years)
• Talking with children 3 to 5 years old
• Talking with children 6 to 8 years old
• Talking with children 9 to 13 years old
• Talking with young people 14 to 18 years old
• Sex and relationships
• Talking with siblings about epilepsy
• For health workers

Children with epilepsy can benefit greatly when health workers and adults outside the family develop relationships with them. Simple actions like making eye contact, waving hello, or stopping to talk even briefly can help them feel seen and know they are valued.

While wearing a white medical jacket might command respect from your coworkers, it may frighten children who only see people wearing them when something scary has happened with their health. You can help children with epilepsy feel more comfortable by wearing more colorful, casual clothes—which are also often easier to keep clean.

Showing a personal interest in the child in front of you helps builds trust. Starting health visits with questions like, “What grade are you in?” or “What games do you like to play with your friends?” can help a child feel comfortable talking with you for the first time, or as someone they have met before but not seen recently. Even though you may be pressed for time, it is worth building a relationship with your young patients.

When I talk with a child, I want them to understand I care about them. I start by asking, “What do you like to do at school?” instead of asking about epilepsy or seizures.

Sometimes a child’s answers will clue you in to how they are feeling about themself or what they are concerned about. By allowing a conversation to flow naturally, you may learn helpful information that a routine set of questions might not reveal.

For older children, you might also ask, “How do your teachers and classmates feel about your epilepsy?” or “Do you think epilepsy stops you from doing activities you enjoy or would like to try?”

When explaining things to children, think of ways to be as clear as possible. Because everyone communicates and understands things differently, you can increase understanding when you:

Use easy words, plain language, and speak slowly. Avoid medical words or complicated terms. Unfortunately, the language of epilepsy and seizures is filled with them! For example, instead of “seizure management,” say “what to do when a seizure happens.” Using common words helps a child pay attention to your message, rather than confusing them with information they must try too hard to understand.

Repeat key points and ask a child to repeat them back to you. After explaining something important, repeat it in the same simple way. Then ask the child to say it back to you in their own words. For example, when talking about aura, you can say, “If you feel dizzy, sit down right away. Can you tell me what you will do if you feel dizzy?”

Divide complex instructions into small steps. For example, instead of saying, “Take 1 pill with water, 10 minutes after a meal, every day,” you can say, “One, eat breakfast. Two, wait 10 minutes. Three, pop one tablet out of this medicine strip and swallow the tablet with plenty of water. Now repeat that all back to me and count out each step using your fingers.”

When it comes to learning about a child’s health, you may need to rely on information from parents or other caregivers. But it is important to hear directly from children about how their seizures and medicines make them feel. With older children and teens, always include them in conversations about their health so they do not feel left out, undervalued, or invisible.

I want teens to understand I care about them and value their ideas. I start by asking to speak with them alone, without their parents. Then, if questions come up that they can’t answer, we invite the adults in.

This page was updated:24 May 2026