Job Discussion Forums

[atomic_donut]

Are there any teachers out there who either have epiepsy, or are knowledgable in the area of how employers view teachers who get seizures? Are employers of schools likely to discriminate against people who have a record of seizures, in spite of taking medication to control these? The reason why I ask that is in my last job in Thailand, I had some seizures on school grounds, and the principal and his committee decided that they no longer felt safe to have me around because of the teachers and children being scared of me possibly having a fit in the classroom (it never happened in class though). The attitude that was taken by the powers that be was more to protect the reputation of the school and stop gossip spreading that could affect future enrolments, rather than initially being concerned for my health. I believe there was also a miscommunication regarding the understanding of what epilepsy and how it can be controlled. The school adopted a "worse case scenario", rather than try to understand what it really is and how it can be controlled. Perhaps it came down to a preference of animist beliefs over modern medicine, but despite that I had people from back home willing to support me to try and stay, it was all to no avail.

Opinions welcome from anyone who is willing to share any experiences they may have had, or express how they feel about such a matter would assist me in looking at it properly from the 'other side'.

[laodeng]

I can only speak to attitudes at schools in China, more specifically, Shanghai.

If someone observed a seizure--particularly grand mal--then I am certain that there would be zero tolerance. They are not exactly progressive thinkers in this area.

By the same token, if one's seizure disorder is controlled, then there is no problem. You are not obligated to absolute truthfulness when you fill out employment applications.

Now, if control is an iffy thing, another problem emerges. You might have trouble linking up with a competent neurologist, even in Shanghai.

Good luck.

[laodeng]

So you can better assess my opinion, I should note that I do not suffer from a seizure disorder. But, in the States, I worked as a clinical psychologist and therapist in concert with neurologists.

[atomic_donut]

Hi Laodeng,

I appreciate your time taken to write. It has been 4 years since I worked teaching in China, and I never had an episode there. But since I have been back in Australia (3 months now), nothing has gone wrong. The dosage I was taking wasn't strong enough, something has since been corrected, although I undergo frequent tests to ensure that I am not on too high a level (I take Epilim and Dilantin, and they work well).

Cheers

[laodeng]

Uh-oh. I'm truly sorry for the negativity, but I'm not sure that I'd trust the labs in most China locations to correctly perform drug levels. Possibly in a lab connected with one of the large (and frightfully expensive) expat medical centers in Shanghai and Beijing. I think for your own peace of mind you'd want to check this out in advance.

[atomic_donut]

I am aware of this, and it is a risk that may have to be taken, if it is the only alternative available.

How long have you been in Shanghai for now?