Supporting Students with Seizure Disorder (Epilepsy)

Schools and districts can support students with seizure disorders by providing their educators and school personnel with information about seizure management and developing seizure action plans for students with a history of seizures.

Epilepsy is a broad term used to describe a brain disorder that causes a seizure. There are several different types of seizures, and students may experience more than one type. Because signs and symptoms of seizures vary by type and can range from staring into space to muscle jerks or spasms, supports needed for each child vary. It is essential for school nurses and education staff to engage with families of students with seizure disorders when developing an individualized seizure action plan so that it fits each student’s needs.

​When schools, families, and medical providers communicate clearly and often, students can have appropriate medical treatment at school with minimal disruption to the learning environment, allowing optimal learning and participation. A full list of possible seizure signs and symptoms can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Epilepsy Alliance of Ohio, and Epilepsy Foundation websites.

Seizure Action Plan Requirements

Ohio Law for each city, local, exempted village, joint vocational, chartered nonpublic, community, and STEM school requires a school nurse, or another district or school employee if the district or school does not have a school nurse, to create an individualized seizure action plan for each student enrolled who has an active seizure disorder diagnosis. Schools and districts are required to create and maintain individualized seizure action plans. Schools and districts must develop seizure action plans in collaboration with each student’s parent or guardian.  

Components of an individualized seizure action plan: 

  • A written request, signed by the student’s parent or guardian, to have seizure disorder prescriptions administered to the student; and 
  • A written statement from the student’s treating practitioner providing information on each drug prescribed to the student for a seizure disorder.  ​

Ohio law for city, local, exempted village, and joint vocational, chartered nonpublic, community, and STEM schools requires the school nurse (or alternate employee) to notify all school employees, contractors, and volunteers who regularly interact with the student in writing of the existence and content of the seizure action plan. The school nurse (or alternate employee) coordinates seizure disorder care at the school and ensures all staff who interact with the student receive necessary training. Plans must be renewed at the beginning of each school year and maintained in a school nurse or administrator’s office.

Seizure Action Plan Templates

Emergency Seizure Medications and Student Possession

Effective April 9, 2025, Ohio law for city, local, exempted village, joint vocational, chartered nonpublic, community, and STEM schools allows a student to possess a drug prescribed to the student designed to prevent the onset of a seizure or to alleviate the symptoms of a seizure if both of the following conditions are satisfied:

  • The student has the written approval of the student's physician and, if the student is a minor, the written approval of the parent, guardian, or other person having care or charge of the student. The physician's written approval shall include at least all required components of Ohio law. 
  • The school principal and, if a school nurse is assigned to the student's school building, the school nurse received copies of the written approvals.

If these conditions are satisfied, the student may possess a drug described in Ohio law at school or at any activity, event, or program sponsored by or in which the student's school is a participant.

Identified school employees, contractors, and volunteers who receive a copy of the seizure action plan, have required training, and meet all other Ohio law requirements may administer the prescribed emergency seizure medication to a student if the following conditions are met:

  • The individual received a copy of the written approval issued by the student's physician which contained the information required by Ohio law; and
  • The individual has received training regarding the circumstances under which the drug is to be administered to the student and how the drug is to be administered to the student.

Seizure Training Requirements

Schools and districts must designate at least one employee at each school building in addition to a school nurse to receive training on the implementation of seizure action plans every two years. The seizure training program should not exceed one hour. The training should qualify as professional development activity for the renewal of educator licenses.  

The seizure training program must include: 

  • Recognizing the signs and symptoms of a seizure;  
  • The appropriate treatment for a student who exhibits the symptoms of a seizure; and 
  • Administering drugs prescribed for seizure disorders. 

In addition, each person employed as an administrator, guidance counselor, teacher, or bus driver must complete a minimum of one hour of training on seizure disorders by Oct. 3, 2025. Administrators, guidance counselors, teachers, and bus drivers employed after Oct. 3, 2023, must complete the training within 90 days of employment. 

Seizure Training Resources

The Epilepsy Foundation and Epilepsy Alliance of Ohio provide free seizure training for nurses, educators, and school personnel. The Epilepsy Foundation trainings for nurses include professional development hours. Ohio law requires that school staff training courses meeting the training requirements in Ohio law are eligible for professional development hours for educator license renewal.

Nurse

School Staff

Development of Seizure Action Plan

Last Modified: 8/12/2026 2:09:03 PM