School Action Plan for an Epileptic Crisis: how to request it

It is the right of every student with epilepsy, in a public or private school, to have an individual, written plan telling school staff exactly what to do if a crisis occurs, who is trained to help, and what reasonable accommodations they receive in the classroom — so the school is not left improvising in the moment.

Every minor with epilepsy duly enrolled in a Puerto Rico public or private school, at any level from daycare through secondary. If the student is registered in the Special Education Program, they receive accommodations under that framework (IDEA, ADA) first; this Act does not limit those rights.

• Notify the School Director of the student's epilepsy diagnosis and request the School Meeting, at the start of the school year or when the student is diagnosed.Verified against the official source
• Present, on the day of the School Meeting, a copy of the Epilepsy Medical Management Plan written by the student's medical specialist, with written instructions.Verified against the official source

• The Epilepsy Medical Management Plan, written by the pediatric or neurological health specialist treating the student.

1. 1

   Step 1: Notify the diagnosis and request the School Meeting

   The law places this duty on the family: "The mothers, fathers, guardians or custodians of each student with epilepsy shall notify the School Director... and shall request the School Meeting" (Art. 5). Without this notification, the school is not in breach of the Act.

2. 2

   Step 2: Bring the Medical Management Plan to the meeting

   On the scheduled day, the family provides the School Director a copy of the Epilepsy Medical Management Plan, written by the medical specialist, with written instructions (Art. 5).

3. 3

   Step 3: The School Plan is signed within twenty days

   The Department of Education, with the Department of Health, provides the model form. The Plan must be drafted and signed by the School Director, the parent, and the Trained School Staff no later than twenty calendar days after the meeting (Art. 6, 11(g)).

4. 4

   Step 4: Know the accommodations the law guarantees

   No-penalty makeup of tests or evaluations after a condition-related absence; no penalty for condition-related absences or tardiness; permission to carry a cell phone in case of emergency; communication with the family about any schedule change needing special attention; and full participation in extracurricular activities and field trips with Trained School Staff available (Art. 11(d)).

5. 5

   Step 5: The training costs the family nothing

   Art. 12 expressly prohibits it: "No monetary charge whatsoever may be made to the mother, father, guardians or custodians of the student for compliance with this Act's provisions." Staff training also cannot carry costs for private institutions (Art. 8).

6. 6

   Step 6: Review the Plan at least once a year

   The School Action Plan for an Epileptic Crisis must be reviewed at least once a year, and can be amended sooner if the student develops new needs or their treatment changes, at the family's request (Art. 11(h)).

Before the School Director of the campus where the student is enrolled, whether public or private. The family initiates the process by notifying the diagnosis and requesting the School Meeting; it is not a procedure before an outside office.

• Assuming the school must act without the family notifying the diagnosis: the duty to notify falls on the parents, guardians or custodians.
• Arriving at the School Meeting without the specialist's Epilepsy Medical Management Plan.
• Thinking staff training can be billed to the family: the law expressly prohibits it.
• Not requesting a Plan review when the student's needs change: the law allows amending it whenever needed, not just once a year.
• Believing this law replaces Special Education rights: it complements them, and those accommodations come first when they apply.

These are the government pages this guide is based on.

• Departamento de Educación de Puerto Rico

  Educación

  bvirtualogp.pr.gov