It’s the final day of July and the first day of school is just around the corner! We understand that if you are a parent or caretaker of a child on the ketogenic diet the “to do” list prior to school starting is probably a mile long and overwhelming. Not only do you need to get all the traditional school supplies, but it’s also time to educate the school staff about ketogenic therapy.
Many of the Epilepsy organizations have information about preparing for back to school. The Epilepsy Foundation has a great page discussing seizure response plans and epilepsy in the classroom (click here). They even offer an on-line training program for school nurses to learn how to manage student with seizures (click here).
If your child has a specific epilepsy syndrome, check on the foundation web sites for some additional information to provide teachers or nurses. For example, the Glut 1 Foundation has a printable brochure families can provide to the school (find here).
The Charlie Foundation and Matthews Friends sites are always great resources for all things keto related. On their websites you can find everything from descriptions of the diet your child is following (here), videos a teacher or nurse can watch to explain ketogenic therapy (here) and even ketogenic diet specific information on lunch time, giving rewards in the class room, and participating in parties (here)
Find a list of support groups on Ketovie.com
To make the process a little easier this year, KetoVie has created a handout called “Ketogenic Diet Therapy 101: Info for Caregivers.” This handout is a resource to explain the basics about following any of the ketogenic therapies to teachers, school nurses, babysitters, school aides, etc. It might even help a grandparent, aunt, or uncle understand a little more about this “weird” high fat diet your child is trying to follow.
The front shows fats, depicted in green such as butter, oil, and avocado which are used as a new fuel for the brain. Protein foods, shown in blue, are used to keep muscles strong. Carbohydrate foods, which are the most limited in the diet, are shown in pink. It also includes graphs comparing an average diet to the most restricted ketogenic diet.
On the back, you will find the answers to the most “FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)” about ketogenic therapy. It focuses on how caregivers can help those following ketogenic therapy to be successful with their epilepsy treatment.
This handout can be easily downloaded from our website at KetoVie.com. Once on the website click “Family Support” in left hand column then “Resources” then “Caregiver Info” and finally “Keto Diet Therapy 101: FAQs”.
Do you find this resource helpful? We want to hear your feedback and what other tools would be helpful for your ketogenic therapy! Email us at everyday@ketovie.com or post in the comments section
