Quick answer: A seizure action plan is a one-page document telling school staff what your child’s seizures look like, what to do, when to give rescue medication, and when to call emergency services. Every child with epilepsy should have one, shared with every adult who supervises them.
Key Takeaways
- Keep it to one page — long plans do not get read in an emergency.
- Describe what your child’s seizures actually look like, not textbook seizures.
- State the exact time threshold for calling emergency services.
- Name who is trained to give rescue medication.
- Share it with every adult who supervises your child, including supply teachers.
A father told me about the day his son had his first seizure at school, in second grade, with no plan in place because no one — not the school, not the family — had thought one was needed yet. The teacher did not know whether to call an ambulance, wait, or hold him down. She called the office. The office called the father. By the time he arrived twelve minutes later, his son was sitting up, confused and embarrassed, surrounded by six adults who had each done something slightly different.
Nobody had done anything wrong exactly. They had simply never been told what to do. That gap — between a family’s private knowledge of what a seizure looks like for their child and a school’s total absence of that knowledge — is what a written plan closes.
Why a Written Plan Changes What Happens
In an emergency, adults do not reason well. They look for instructions. A written plan converts panic into a checklist.
The Epilepsy Foundation and paediatric hospitals consistently recommend that families work with their neurologist to produce a detailed plan describing what typical seizures look like, how long they usually last, clear steps to follow, when rescue medication is appropriate, and when to call emergency services.
Additionally, a plan protects staff. Teachers act more confidently when they have written authority for what to do.
What Every Seizure Action Plan Must Contain
- Child’s name, date of birth, photo — the photo matters for supply staff
- Seizure type and description — what it actually looks like in your child
- Typical duration — so staff know what is normal for them
- What to do during a seizure — positioning, timing, what not to do
- Rescue medication — name, dose, route, and after how many minutes
- When to call emergency services — a specific time threshold
- Recovery care — where the child rests, when they can return to class
- Parent and neurologist contact details
- Triggers to avoid — missed sleep, flashing lights, missed medication
- Date and signature — plans should be reviewed annually
The Template
Copy the text below, fill in the details, and print it. Give a copy to the school office, the class teacher, the school nurse, and anyone supervising sport or trips.
Seizure Action Plan — Copy This
SEIZURE ACTION PLAN
Child: ____________________ · Date of birth: __________ · Photo attached: ☐
School year/class: __________ · Plan date: __________ · Review date: __________
1. WHAT MY SEIZURES LOOK LIKE
Type: ____________________
Description: ____________________________________________
Usual length: __________ · Usual frequency: __________
Warning signs beforehand: ____________________
2. WHAT TO DO
☐ Stay with the child and note the start time
☐ Move objects away; place something soft under the head
☐ Turn onto their side once movements stop
☐ Do NOT restrain movements or put anything in the mouth
☐ Stay calm and speak reassuringly — they may hear you
3. RESCUE MEDICATION
Medication: ____________________ · Dose: __________
Give after: ______ minutes of continuous seizure
Trained staff: ____________________
Stored: ____________________
4. CALL EMERGENCY SERVICES IF
☐ The seizure lasts longer than ______ minutes
☐ A second seizure begins before recovery from the first
☐ Breathing is difficult or lips turn blue
☐ The child is injured during the seizure
☐ This is their first ever seizure
☐ They do not regain consciousness
5. AFTER THE SEIZURE
Where they rest: ____________________
Usual recovery time: __________
Return to class when: ____________________
Contact parents: ☐ Always ☐ Only if rescue medication given
6. CONTACTS
Parent 1: ____________________ · Phone: __________
Parent 2: ____________________ · Phone: __________
Neurologist/clinic: ____________________ · Phone: __________
7. TRIGGERS TO HELP AVOID
____________________________________________
Parent signature: ______________ · Date: __________
School staff signature: ______________ · Date: __________
Making Sure the Plan Is Actually Used
This is the part the father learned the hard way: writing the plan was the easy half. Making sure the substitute teacher, the lunch supervisor and the school nurse had all actually seen it took a full term longer.
A plan filed in a cabinet helps nobody. Ask specifically where it will be kept and who will see it.
Request that a copy goes to the staffroom, the school office, and any teacher covering PE or trips. Supply teachers are the most common gap — they meet your child without any handover.
Ask for a named trained person and a named backup. If only one member of staff can give rescue medication, your plan fails whenever that person is absent.
- Ask who holds the plan and where it is stored
- Confirm at least two staff are trained in rescue medication
- Check what happens on school trips and at after-school clubs
- Ask how supply teachers are informed
- Review and re-sign the plan each school year
What This Means for Your Family
Most parents find the first conversation harder than it turns out to be. Schools generally want the information — they simply do not know what to ask for.
Bring the completed plan to the meeting rather than asking the school to produce one. It reframes the conversation from a request into a handover, and it takes far less time.
You may already have done some of this. If so, check the date on the existing plan. Plans written two years ago frequently list the wrong dose.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a seizure action plan include?
It should include the child’s seizure type and description, usual duration, step-by-step first aid, rescue medication details with the exact time threshold, when to call emergency services, recovery instructions, and parent and neurologist contacts. Keep it to one page.
Who needs a copy of the seizure action plan?
The school office, class teacher, school nurse, PE staff, after-school club leaders, and anyone supervising trips. Supply teachers are the most commonly missed group, so ask specifically how they will be briefed.
When should school call an ambulance for a seizure?
Generally if a convulsive seizure lasts longer than five minutes, if a second seizure starts before recovery, if breathing is difficult, if the child is injured, if it is their first ever seizure, or if they do not regain consciousness. Your neurologist should confirm the exact threshold for your child.
Does the school have to follow a seizure action plan?
Schools have a duty of care and generally act on medical plans provided by parents and clinicians. A plan signed by both the parent and the school, and reviewed annually, carries more weight than an informal conversation.
How often should a seizure action plan be updated?
At least once a year, and immediately after any change in medication, dose, seizure type or frequency. Out-of-date rescue medication doses are one of the most common problems found in school-held plans.
The father’s son is in fifth grade now and has had two more seizures at school since that first confusing afternoon — both handled, he says, almost calmly, by staff who knew exactly what to do because it was written down where they could find it. He still updates the plan every September, even in years when nothing about the seizures has changed, because the one thing he will not risk again is a room full of adults improvising.
If your child has never had a seizure at school and you are wondering whether a plan is really necessary yet, it is easier to write one now than during the twelve minutes it takes you to get there.
Related Reading
- Seizure First Aid for Children: A Parent’s Guide
- Epilepsy Diagnosis in Children: Tests and Criteria
- Hydrocephalus and School: Getting the Right Support
Bibliography
- Epilepsy Foundation. Seizure First Aid for Children. Available at: epilepsy.com
- Epilepsy Foundation. Managing Your Child’s Epilepsy. Available at: epilepsy.com
- Norton Children’s. How to help family and friends be prepared when a child has a seizure. Available at: nortonchildrens.com
- UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. 10 Tips for Parents of Kids With Epilepsy. Available at: ucsfbenioffchildrens.org
