I’ve just started working as a substitute teacher at a highschool. Over the past couple of weeks, I have had a lot of talks with friends and family members about my new job as I struggle with the question if I should tell the school about my situation.
If it was ‘just’ the AVM, I would not worry about telling them. If it’s okay to drive than I think it’s okay to teach! I also have focal seizures though, that take away my ability to speak and focus for up to an hour at the time.
These seizures are mostly under control through medication and if they come, it’s usually early in the morning or in the evening, but there is still a small chance of it happening at school.
If I tell them though, they may not want me to work there as people often picture a grand mal when I tell them about my epilepsy. Right now, things are going really well and they may even offer me a job as a teacher for the next school year and I really don’t want to mess that up. It has been my lifelong dream to become a teacher.
Do you think I should tell them and risk losing my job or is it okay to just see how it goes?
I say just see how it goes. Make sure you have medical info in your wallet incase something happens, or are wearing a medical alert bracelet, other than that, I wouldn’t say anything.
Monique:
If they didn’t ask on the application, don’t tell. If that’s good enough for the armed forces, it good enough for substitute teachers! Hope you get the permanent job.
It might be a good idea to google search the question with regard to the labor laws in your state. If you find something conclusive it would put your mind at ease
If the seizures are totally under control; your fitness is ok; your aphasia is also under control; then you shouldnt have to say anything.
But, for example, you do have a large seizures during the period; it could be an issue. or at least, other colleagues would know the situation. For that reason, i would let someone know about it.
When i managed to get a job; my aphasia was enough for me to get a position. I had the skills as a designer, BUT - on the phone, leaving a telephone number as a client - cant say it very well. So i have said before, just a quick notice that sometimes i may miss the odd word due to aphasia. But ive never had to say anything about my bleed etc.
So each job/survivor will have to make the judgement based on the skills/positions and what happened to the environment…as long as you are confident that you are under control, then say nothing.