On Friday, June 19, the Epilepsy Classroom at SickKids packed up for the summer.  That last day of term was one big party: a water fight on the lawn, a pizza party followed by ice-cream cake, computer games, playing pool in Marnie’s Lounge, (a SickKids hang-out for older patients and used by the Epilepsy Classroom for lunch, a cooking program and special occasions like this one), and No Classes.

Summer and the end of term are always great reasons to celebrate.  But the kids in the Epilepsy Classroom have their own special reasons – for five months, under the guidance of experts, they had been achieving, where before they had not.    Christina Williams is one of the kids who graduated from the Classroom on that Friday, and her mother Lisa can give you chapter and verse on the difference it has made.  

“Christina has gone up a whole grade level in five months which she hadn’t done in the last seven years.”

  Christina’s academic progress had stopped, and the stress of that was helping bring on seizures.  At the end of 2008 she had a history of struggle and frustration at school.  At the end of five months in the Epilepsy Classroom she was able to proudly display a report card showing real progress.   What makes the Classroom so effective?  Lots of things.  Lisa Williams lists (in Christina’s case) freedom from seizures!  Christina went from seizures every week to none at all in the five months she was in the Classroom.  As well as this amazing indicator of stress reduction there are:  

• Being in a smaller group;
• A straightforward academic day, without all the extra-curricular busy-nesses that go with regular school;
• Lessons geared to her learning level, where she could learn and be proud of her progress; and
• Teachers who gave her one-on-one attention and who were there to keep her focused on what she was doing.

Her mother is so proud:  

“Christina now has a better sense of what she needs to do as far as her learning goes.  She knows how to tell the teacher when things have gotten too far ahead of her and why she needs to go back – and start again if necessary.  In other words, she knows how to advocate for herself.  Which is what the kids have to do when they get into high school – advocate for themselves.” 

Miriam Riches is the Special Education Teacher responsible for the day to day programming of the Classroom.  The method of teaching is Direct Instruction, an approach that is founded in research conducted in the Classroom itself.  It is intensive and done in small groups, so Miriam develops unique Individual Education Plans for each of the students.  This is one reason why the Classroom can only take eight students each term, younger ones (Grades 1-5) in the fall and older students (Grades 5-8) in the spring.  The children have significant academic needs, as well as the medical needs related to their epilepsy.   

To qualify for the Classroom’s special services a child has to have intractable epilepsy, that is, persistent seizure activity despite maximal medical treatment, and be followed by a neurologist.  Academically they must be underachieving in at least one academic area on standardized testing, or show persistent underachievement on a daily basis in their home school classroom.  

The eight students who qualify on these grounds go into an experience enriched by enormous care and support. 

Besides Miriam, there are two classroom assistants who instruct and oversee the children each day; a social worker and psychologist who provide services to the classroom each week, a developmental paediatrician who provides an assessment for each student during the term, a neurologist who is available on an as needed basis and support staff, students and volunteers.

Psychologist Elizabeth Kerr heads up the Epilepsy Classroom.  She coordinates referrals and is involved in intake assessments of students. During the term, she conducts neuropsychological assessments of the students to gain a better understanding of their learning profiles and needs. 

It may look like a huge team for eight kids, but with the challenges these kids are facing, that’s what it takes.

  And yes, they do research.  Activities of Daily Living in Children with Intractable Epilepsy, for instance, is a recently published study that sought to learn how best to assess the problems presented to children with intractable epilepsy by the simple activities of daily living.  Activities such as shoelace tying, fastening zippers or buttons, printing or writing cursive, independent self-feeding and preparing backpacks for school. This is a first round study. Once the methods for assessment are established, the study will progress to looking at larger groups of children and zero in on those daily living activities.  The understanding gained will help clinicians and researchers determine the best way to help these kids both acquire these basic skills and achieve more independence at school and at home.   Rather, as Lisa Williams put it, it’s like giving kids the confidence and savvy to advocate for themselves in the classroom – and everywhere.   And what do the kids think?  Christina took a minute from playing pool in Marnie’s (she’s getting good!) to answer that question.  Asked if she enjoyed the Classroom this year she said “Yes,” because she got A’s.  And when asked if that was fun, she said firmly: 

“It’s sure better than failing.”