Migraine in Children

Fear of migraine attacks disrupting school activities is normal. Finding ways to calm anxiety can ease the burden of living with migraine and improve symptoms. For more information, visit our Relaxation Practice post.

Here are the steps to follow to be able to treat your migraine attack:

• See your doctor and get a prescription
• Learn about the medication, what it is and how much you can use
• Discuss with school staff and/or administration to get the authorization to take your medication when you
• need it. It is a good idea to carry information about the medication as well.
• If an attack starts, take the medication as early as possible (LINKIN Treating early).
• Check if it is possible for you to rest in a quiet and dark room during the attack, and drink water if needed.
• If you have different types of migraine, some more severe, determine when it’s necessary to contact your parents.

According to the World Health Organization, a severe migraine attack is as disabling as being quadriplegic, psychotic, or in the terminal stages of a cancer. Migraine absolutely can be disabling and accommodations often help to enhance learning.

To get started, arrange a meeting with teachers and school staff to discuss the condition and necessary accommodations. Be specific about what would help! Examples of accommodations include: 

• modified school days
• extended test/exam times
• flexible deadlines
• access to missed assignments
• a quiet space during attacks.

Provide a letter from a doctor explaining migraine and necessary accommodations. If you are a post-secondary student, you may need specific forms, for example from your institution’s Accessibility Services unit.

Accommodations help manage migraine attacks and enhance learning. The focus should be on enabling progress and successful graduation. Collaborating with your health team and school staff can effectively manage migraine and support academic success.

Yes! Your child’s teachers and administrators play a critical role in supporting your child. It is paramount you proactively provide your child’s teacher and school administration with information on migraine. It’s important to inform educators on the debilitating symptoms of migraine, as well as your child’s specific diagnosis, as it is not always a well-understood disorder.

You should plan regular meetings to discuss your child’s situation, prescribed treatment plan and helpful accommodations that should be implemented. Emphasis should be made on the importance of administering medication as soon as your child begins to feel the onset of a migraine and that acute medication must be taken VERY QUICKLY to prevent worsening and a prolonged headache and helpful accommodations (somewhere quiet and dark to rest after taking medication). With successful early treatment of a migraine attack, the goal is to return to school activities after this time.