Utah Trains over 10,000 Community Members in Five Years

Epilepsy News From: Friday, January 27, 2017

Formed in 2011 out of the Epilepsy Alliance of Utah, the Epilepsy Foundation of Utah has trained over 10,000 people in the “ABCs of Seizures & Safety.” These no-cost, one-hour trainings provide information about epilepsy and appropriate first aid for seizures. During this training, the trainers also include information about sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), traumatic brain injuries, and autism.

The trainings, which use a combination of handouts and videos, are adapted to the needs of the specific attendees. If appropriate, the session may also include information on individual educational plans (IEPs) and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Training Recruitment

When she started this program, Margo Thurman, executive director of the Epilepsy Foundation of Utah, recruited trainees by reaching out to community police and fire departments. She also contacted school nurses through her connections as a former administrator and special education teacher. Families that called the Epilepsy Foundation of Utah were offered training for themselves and their extended family. 

Among the 10,000 people trained from June 2011 to October 2016 were the following:

  • Police officers and firefighters throughout the state of Utah
  • Teachers at public, charter, and private schools
  • Elementary, high school, and college students
  • Utah’s parole officers
  • Utah’s prison employees
  • 911 dispatchers
  • Foster parents
  • Caseworkers for senior citizens, homebound people, and homeless individuals
  • Vocational Rehabilitation caseworkers throughout Utah
  • Families living with epilepsy
  • Individuals newly diagnosed with epilepsy
  • Paraeducators in Utah
  • School nurses
“We are very proud of what we have done and feel strongly about raising epilepsy awareness,” Margo said.

Continuous Update and Review to Training

Periodically, Dr. Pegah Afra, associate professor of neurology at the University of Utah’s Department of Neurology, and Dr. David J. Thurman, adjunct professor of neurology at Emory University and former medical epidemiologist with the CDC Epilepsy Program, critiqued the presentation and suggested updates. Dr. Afra is currently on the Epilepsy Foundation of Utah’s Advisory Board.

For more information about the Epilepsy Foundation of Utah, visit their page on epilepsy.com and like them on Facebook.  

Find your local Epilepsy Foundation to learn about training available in your community. Or learn about various seizure recognition and first aid training offered online or with DVDs.

Reviewed Date

Friday, January 27, 2017

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