Twinkle Toe Shoes cause epileptic seizures?

[onescgirl]

OP -- you kind of make it sound as though this is the only pair of shoes your daughter owns and that you bought them with the thought that she'd wear them every single day of school. If that's the case, then I can see why you'd be so upset.

But if your daughter has another pair she can wear for a few days, why not put her in them while this gets settled, and not rush right out to buy a new pair until you've had a chance to talk to the Vice Principal. You can ask about other kids with light-up shoes, find out if the complaint is valid, etc. before you spend money on other shoes.

Seems pretty simple. Unless, as I said, your daughter has no other wearable shoes.

I didn't mean to imply she didn't have another pair of shoes to wear. She's not shoeless by any means. Just new-shoe-less. Flip flop & sandles were worn all summer. All her tennis shoes are a size 2 from last school year & for this school year she has measured a size 3 when we bought these. She can still get in the size 2 they are just tight. So, I will have to buy a new pair of tennis shoes.
She wore a different pair today.

I think you will need to buy her new shoes.

I just got my daughter's student handbook today. They don't outright ban any specific clothing but there is a "any item of clothing that is deemed unsafe or is a distraction." clause. I guess these shoes would fit under that.

I have to think if they called you and asked you to bring a new pair in that same day then it is a problem with someone that she sees/interacts with often. Otherwise they would have sent a note home saying don't wear these anymore. And you don't/shouldn't get any info on another person's medical condition.

My daughter's school banned Silly Bandz last year so they can and will do what it takes if they find something that is disruptive and/or unsafe.

I would just go buy my DD new shoes. This is not a hill I would die on.

Our school banned Silly Bandz last year too because of distraction. Maybe they will ban these shoes for distraction, but that's not the reason the nurse told me

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

Flashing can cause seizures & migraines for that matter.

If a child has been diagnosed over the summer with a seizure disorder you will never know because it's a HIPAA violation.

Light up shoes have been out for years & I've searched & found no reports of them ever causing a seizure. They have been out for at least 14 years if not longer.

 

[C.Ann]

OP -- you kind of make it sound as though this is the only pair of shoes your daughter owns and that you bought them with the thought that she'd wear them every single day of school. If that's the case, then I can see why you'd be so upset.

But if your daughter has another pair she can wear for a few days, why not put her in them while this gets settled, and not rush right out to buy a new pair until you've had a chance to talk to the Vice Principal. You can ask about other kids with light-up shoes, find out if the complaint is valid, etc. before you spend money on other shoes.

Seems pretty simple. Unless, as I said, your daughter has no other wearable shoes.

Excellent idea!!

 

[onescgirl]

I just called & talked with the Sketchers customer service.

There is no way to disable the lights.

This is the 1st that they have heard about a school banning the shoes & it's the 1st they have heard about someone saying the lights could cause a seizure.
She contacted the lab & called me back to let me know that Strobe lights cause seizures & have to have a frequency of 20-50 cycles per second. Sketchers are blinking lights & not strobe lights & the shoe cycles are way below that. The lab is preparing paperwork to e-mail me the frequency rating of the shoes.

I asked if any cases had been reported to them about seizures & she said there have been none.

 

[mamacatnv]

OP I would not buy new shoes. Light ups have been around forever and no school that I know of has banned them. Unless they can prove they are causing a seizure no way would I cave.

What a bunch of BS, as we all know people will complain about just about everything. Probably some parent who didn't buy the shoes and now their kid is giving them grief so they are trying to get the school to intervene.
We are not talking strobe lights and last I knew most classrooms were well lit not dark and cave like where blinking toes would really stand out and be annoying.

 

[HsvTeacher]

Exactly! You're an adult & they are distracting you. You didn't say they were distracting the kids.
I cannot see kids complaining about these shoes. I'm wondering if they were bothering the teacher or if it bothered a parent. If so, that's what I should have been told not that it can cause a seizure.
That's what's in my thread title/post. Does anyone have an epileptic child or know of an actual case where the twinkle toe shoes caused a seizure?

Actually, I've had several students (all boys) complaining about the shoes.

However, a distraction is a distraction, and it doesn't matter to whom. I can guarantee you that if I'm distracted as an adult, I have students who are distracted, too.

I have no idea whether or not these shoes cause seizures or any other health issue. I was simply giving my opinion as a teacher in regards to the distraction factor.

Edited to add: Our handbook also has a line about "and anything else deemed to be a distraction." That alone would be enough of a reason to ban the shoes. However, I agree with the OP that the school should've said that was the reason.

 

[Hannathy]

I did do a quick search and could find nothing on these shoes causing a seizure and believe me if they did as I said our media would be all over it.

Seizures are not caused by a few twinkling lights on shoes,

My DD would be wearing the shoes until they declared them something thru the entire school and all kids couldn't wear them.

For those who can't believe it my DS has exactly 1 pair of shoes that fit him so yes some kids only have 1 pair of shoes.

Don't back down and I especially wouldn't back down until I got something in writing from the principal and it was in the school newsletter for all students.

 

[klj27]

It does not seem like an unreasonable request and I wouldn't even dream of questioning the school. I am always amazed by the battles parents choose to fight with the schools. Let's remember the school personnel are there for the good of the children. Unfortunately some kids may have to sacrifice for another child's school experience (ie. banning peanuts and flashing shoes) but I thank God that my child is not dealing with the special issue.

 

[mamacatnv]

I just called & talked with the Sketchers customer service.

There is no way to disable the lights.

This is the 1st that they have heard about a school banning the shoes & it's the 1st they have heard about someone saying the lights could cause a seizure.
She contacted the lab & called me back to let me know that Strobe lights cause seizures & have to have a frequency of 20-50 cycles per second. Sketchers are blinking lights & not strobe lights & the shoe cycles are way below that. The lab is preparing paperwork to e-mail me the frequency rating of the shoes.

I asked if any cases had been reported to them about seizures & she said there have been none.

Haha Good Job! Stand your ground. This would be a hill I would be willing to die on - it is just another example of a school system that is reaching into my personal life a bit too much and they need to be pushed back to their proper place.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Flashing can cause seizures & migraines for that matter.

If a child has been diagnosed over the summer with a seizure disorder you will never know because it's a HIPAA violation.

As has been stated before, flashing lights that are flashing within a specific Hz-range and for a certain duration can cause seizures. Random flashing lights that fall outside of that spectrum do not.

The question is whether or not these shoes meet the guidelines for being "safe" or not.

I keep seeing people saying that flashing lights cause seizures, but it is only in certain instances. Even within that certain range there are certain epileptics who have a seizure from one end of the spectrum, but not the other.

To me, the issue here is the distraction they may cause. The school chose a wrong battle in labeling the shoes a "medical issue" when they probably don't have any sort of data to back it up. Unless they, themselves, can produce a data sheet showing the shoes are not within the guidelines, than why choose that battle?

 

[barkley]

everyone seems to be focusing on the siezure issues, but the op sez that the school also mentioned the shoe's lights can be an issue with migraines.

as a severe migraine sufferer who has a child who suffers from them as well-i can say 'yes', lights can trigger migraines for both of us. the lights don't have to be strobing, they don't have to be intensely bright, and we don't have to be looking head on at them (in fact it can be worse if we are subjected to them in our peripheral vision).

i understand that these types of shoes are only made to activate when the child walks, but if you've ever been in a classroom (esp. with younger kids of say 4th or 5th grade and lower) where these are popular-the kids will sit there and constantly pop the toes of their shoes together, hit their heels on the floor or the desk, or outright stomp with them to get the lights to engage. if you are prone to migraines, sitting in a classroom where a handful of kids have shoes periodically 'going off' throughout the day can be a trigger.


p.s.-at my kid's school they would likely ban them under the 'distraction' rule in the handbood, or tell people if you can't afford to replace them then you have to put tape over the lighting portions when the student is on campus or riding the bus.

 

[Aneille]

I'd be upset because the school is claiming they can cause a seizure. Sorry I don't believe that. To cause a siezure it has to be a certain frequency. They have warnings on video games and certain cartoons I believe as well just for this reason.

They might be a distraction in class and if that is the complaint I would comply without question.

 

[Jennasis]

Seizures are not caused by a few twinkling lights on shoes,
.

Right. Like I said, they are caused by Mary Hart's voice.






For those not in the know... http://www.thewrap.com/television/column-post/strange-case-mary-hart-induced-epilepsy-19918

 

[klj27]

I'd be upset because the school is claiming they can cause a seizure. Sorry I don't believe that. To cause a siezure it has to be a certain frequency. They have warnings on video games and certain cartoons I believe as well just for this reason.

They might be a distraction in class and if that is the complaint I would comply without question.

You know that nurse may be wishing that she used different wording and maybe you can "fight" the siezure issue, but why. It seems reasonable that these can be a distraction and an issue for those in the classroom. If she had used the word distraction I have a feeling the op would have put up just as much of a stink.

 

[C.Ann]

Warning- this is a vent!

This is our 1st week back to school (5th grade)
I received a phone call yesterday from our school nurse asking me to bring another pair of shoes to school for my daughter because there was a complaint about her Twinkle Toe Shoes bothering them.
She said the lights on her shoes could cause migraines or epileptic seizures in a a child that has epilepsy.

To me, the issue here is the distraction they may cause. The school chose a wrong battle in labeling the shoes a "medical issue" when they probably don't have any sort of data to back it up. Unless they, themselves, can produce a data sheet showing the shoes are not within the guidelines, than why choose that battle?

Notice the nurse said migraines - or epileptic seizures in a child that has epilepsy..

So - it would appear that the shoes could still be labeled a "medical issue" if in fact it causes a teacher or student to have migraines..

I could not be looking at - or catching those twinkling lights - out of the corner of my eye without getting a migraine.. It just happens to be one of my triggers - along with 3D movies; certain odors; certain video games; etc..

The way the OP worded the conversation with the nurse, seizures were not the only thing mentioned in regards to these shoes..

After all of that, comes the "distraction" aspect - which may or may not be an issue.. If that is the sole reason, then it's up to the school to inform all parents that these shoes are no longer acceptable..

 

[Scurvy]

Haha Good Job! Stand your ground. This would be a hill I would be willing to die on - it is just another example of a school system that is reaching into my personal life a bit too much and they need to be pushed back to their proper place.

The school system isn't trying to control your personal life at all. You can do whatever you want in your personal life, and so can your child. Every student in that school is free to own as many pairs of those shoes as they want to, and they can wear them wherever they want to, as long as they don't wear them at school. The school system is only trying to control what goes on within the school. Schools have dress codes, and students are expected to adhere to those while they are in school. If the school system wants to ban flashing shoes from the school they have every right to do so. Parents don't have to approve of the reasons for theb; they just have to make sure their kids adhere to the dress code.

I agree with barkley. I went back and reread the OP and the nurse did say "seizures or migraines", not just seizures. Whether or not the shoes flash at the correct frequency to cause seizures, the flashing could certainly cause migraines. If a student in that school is having migraines and they believe the shoes are causing them, then it's reasonable to ban the shoes. The school system doesn't have to explain why the shoes are being banned - in fact to provide specifics about another student's medical conditions would actually be a violation of privacy rules.

 

[Green Tea]

I guess that I'm kind of surprises at some of the responses here.

I'm sure a lot of the attitude would change if they had a child with epilepsy.

Let's not forget that all seizures are not gran mal shaking spells. Absence and complex partial are much less obvious but still harmful.

I agree. I hope the OP doesn't find out which child is complaining. The girls that have to get rid of their new shoes could really make the one feel sad, I fear.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

The school system isn't trying to control your personal life at all. You can do whatever you want in your personal life, and so can your child. Every student in that school is free to own as many pairs of those shoes as they want to, and they can wear them wherever they want to, as long as they don't wear them at school. The school system is only trying to control what goes on within the school. Schools have dress codes, and students are expected to adhere to those while they are in school. If they want to ban flashing shoes from the school they have every right to do so.

I agree with barkley. I went back and reread the OP and the nurse did say "seizures or migraines", not just seizures. Whether or not the shoes flash at the correct frequency to cause seizures, the flashing could certainly cause migraines. If a student in that school is having migraines and they believe the shoes are causing them, then it's reasonable to ban the shoes. The school system doesn't have to explain why the shoes are being banned - in fact to provide specifics about another student's medical conditions would actually be a violation of privacy rules.

If it is not in the rule book then unless the school was paying for new shoes my child would continue to wear them. One of my kids has the exact pair the OP is talking about. Unless you are looking at them you don't even notice that they are lighting up. You don't even see them out of the corner of your eye as some have mentioned. After about a month half the lights die out anyway. If child cannot be around any light that turns off and on then I don't understand how they can even be in school. Also- unless every kid in that school has non light up sneakers there is also no way I would even consider it. Call me selfish I don't care. I think people are way too demanding these days.

 

[Green Tea]

it does not seem like an unreasonable request and i wouldn't even dream of questioning the school. I am always amazed by the battles parents choose to fight with the schools. Let's remember the school personnel are there for the good of the children. Unfortunately some kids may have to sacrifice for another child's school experience (ie. Banning peanuts and flashing shoes) but i thank god that my child is not dealing with the special issue.

+1

 

[klj27]

If it is not in the rule book then unless the school was paying for new shoes my child would continue to wear them. One of my kids has the exact pair the OP is talking about. Unless you are looking at them you don't even notice that they are lighting up. You don't even see them out of the corner of your eye as some have mentioned. After about a month half the lights die out anyway. If child cannot be around any light that turns off and on then I don't understand how they can even be in school. Also- unless every kid in that school has non light up sneakers there is also no way I would even consider it. Call me selfish I don't care. I think people are way too demanding these days.

Selfish....

I am would be shocked if there isn't something in the handbook that says "and anything else the schools deems"

SillyBandz are a perfect exampe of a distraction that would not have been in last year's school handbooks, but many schools placed mid year policies about them.