Abstracts

Epilepsy has the potential to profoundly impact a child[apos]s adjustment to school. A large body of literature documents that children with epilepsy are at increased risk for cognitive impairment, learning disabilities, special education placement, and behavioral and emotional problems (Williams, 2004). The importance of successful adjustment to school for children with chronic illnesses is also well supported by the literature, yet many children with epilepsy continue to experience difficulties with school adjustment, even in the absence of cognitive impairment or learning disabilities (Madan-Swain, Katz, & LaGory, 2004). Parent perceptions of their child[apos]s school experiences are critical to identifying barriers to successful school adjustment, and these perceptions can often vary dramatically from those of educators (Lynch, Lewis, & Murphy, 1993). Yet, parent perceptions of school problems in children with epilepsy have not been emprically investigated. The current study hopes to aid in the development of a reliable and validated measure to examine school concerns specifically for parents of children with epilepsy, as well as provide information about the types of school-related problems that parents of children with epilepsy find most salient., The School Concerns Questionnaire for Parents of Children with Epilepsy (SCPCE) was administered to 50 parents of children (ages 5-17) with epilepsy. This questionnaire was developed to assess potential concerns about school for parents of children with epilepsy. After the questionnaires were administered, statistical analyses were run on the data in order to test the questionnaire[apos]s reliability. Additionally, information about the content validity of the SCPCE was obtained by completing an additional feedback form with a subset of 10 parents asked for feedback regarding parents[apos] satisfaction with the format and relevance of the SCPCE. Responses of parents were also exmained to determine what parents of children with epilepsy identified as the most salient school-related issues for their children., Support for the content validity and reliability of the SCPCE was found. Additionally, Parents indicated conisitently that the following problems were most prevalent for their children at school: lack of attempt to explain epilepsy to child[apos]s peers at school, teachers are uncomfortable with managing a seizure in class, teachers are not adequately educated about epilepsy, parent feels that school doesn[apos]t know how to help child with learning problems., Preliminary results suggest that the SCPCE is a psychometrically sound instrument that is useful in gaining parents[apos] perspectives on school problems for children with epilepsy. Parents consistently identified concerns about school in four specific areas that have not been previously identified. Knowledge about parent concerns may help improve school outcomes for children with epilepsy.,