Twinkle Toe Shoes cause epileptic seizures?

[Wishing on a star]

these things could land a 747.

I love this description!!!!

Thanks for the link....

If these are very bright, then it really is a bit much isn't it!!!

And NO off switch!!!!

Just to be honest, I wouldn't buy these for my kid, as I wouln't want to be continually subjected to all that flashing/twinkling. OMG, does nobody else see the problem with complete and total overstimulation today????

 

[Toad_Passenger]

What I find offensive and not funny is the bolded comment a child with medical issues is not a snowflake. I hope none of your children or some one you care about has any medical problems. We don't want to have you join the ranks of snowflakes now do we?

Actually the diabetic portion was used because I'm an insulin-dependent Type I diabetic myself, but I would never expect anything out of anyone because of it. I don't need special treatment, I can fend for myself, and I've always felt that way.

And the point of my post was that the "snowflake" term IS thrown around way too often. I don't think people with medical conditions are snowflakes. They only become that when some parents go above and beyond what can be considered reasonable requests for a single child in a school of 2000 students. Even then, it's not the child's fault, but more the fault of the parents.

The girl I went to school with (as I talked about in a PP), had severe migraines, and she left school because there was just no way the school could accommodate her, and her family understood that. Changing the light bulbs in the classrooms would have put a strain on the budget. Try to explain to an entire district of taxpayers why they suddenly have to change light bulbs for a single student? Her parents got that, but I don't think many of today's parents would.

 

[akhenaten]

All meant in fun, but exactly my point. How do you accomodate everyone's needs? Whose needs trump whose? Where do we draw the line? And FWIW, I do get the irony of "my" snowflake versus "your" snowflake. Until this is a school rule, and notice is sent home to all children, still would let my snowflake wear her new shoes.

I agree!!

 

[HsvTeacher]

HOly cow! I had no idea these shoes lit up like this! I change my mind...they have no business being in school (like heely's...stupid fad and a total distraction in the first place) and I can TOTALLY see how they might cause a seizure.

look at this website:
http://www.skechers.com/shoes-and-clothing/brands/skechers_twinkle_toes/list

I originally thought they had one blinky light on the side or in the sole, but these things could land a 747.

Thank you!

(And that website doesn't even begin to show how BRIGHT they are!)

 

[Wishing on a star]

My gut tells me they use the seizure excuse to preempt parents complaining. They think, probably justifiably, that less people will raise an issue if the rule is to protect kids that might have a medical condition

Still not the right way to handle it....
To not have a standing policy, and then to call a parent and make them come to school and remove the offending shoes NOW....

And, does this mean that they are lying about the alleged 'medical issue'.

I think that every single one of us here would have compassion for a child with a bona-fide medical issue.
I think that the existance of such is still very much in doubt.
There are legal avenues for accommodating children with medical issues.
This ain't it.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

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.

IMHO based on the fact that these shoes are causing such a reaction the child of the new shoes will certainly know that Mom isn't happy to say the least. This may be shared with the other kids & become a bullying situation which would be a true concern. Bullying a sick kid over an illness is very sad & unkind.

Choose your battles....it's only shoes. Let them be worn on the weekends & after school & buy "school shoes".

 

[wtccheermom]

Thank you!

(And that website doesn't even begin to show how BRIGHT they are!)

They are either not that bright or my daughter must have gotten a defective pair because you cannot even see hers light up when she is in well lit areas like a school classroom. This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard and my child would wear the shoes until there was a written school rule banning all light shoes for everyone. I would understand if these were some shoes that made crazy bright lights but they don’t and you can really only tell if you are staring down at them.

 

[barkley]

i guess i would just never assume that my child was being singled out for this. i would assume it was an across the board thing either in that particular classroom (b/c of an individual student or staff member's needs) or school wide.

if i had any thought that only my child was being subjected to this policy (and that the other kids in her class could continue to wear the shoes) i would make a quick call to the principal or the district office and simply ask what the policy is-are the shoes 'banned', or just 'banned' for my child.

i've found i can usualy get an answer same day (but maybe i've just been lucky), but in the meantime i would likely err on the side of caution that the nurse was being honest re. the medical situation, and just have my child wear another pair of shoes we had on hand (they might not be the shoes i would choose to have dd or ds wear to school, but they both have at least one pair of older shoes that we hang on to until they outgrow them to use for play or when they are going on what i know will be grunge infused field trips-like to the muddy, mucky, moose poop laden wildlife sanctuary

 

[wtccheermom]

IMHO based on the fact that these shoes are causing such a reaction the child of the new shoes will certainly know that Mom isn't happy to say the least. This may be shared with the other kids & become a bullying situation which would be a true concern. Bullying a sick kid over an illness is very sad & unkind.Choose your battles....it's only shoes. Let them be worn on the weekends & after school & buy "school shoes".

What an assumption I really doubt this would happen!!!

 

[AlleyKat]

Until a note came home stating that those shoes were banned from the school I would let my dd wear them.

So wouldn't I.

Wait a minute I am confused.... Twinkle toe shoes with the jewels on the toes?? They only "sparkle" when light hits them. Not actual flashing lights in the soles.

My DS10 has epilepsy and we let DD5 get Twinkle toes instead of the ones with flashing lights in the soles. We haven't had any trouble with our son and our neurologist said it shouldn't be a problem, at least for my DS.

Bearshouse

I would have NO problem with this if the school determined that this was a valid and important accommodation.... Sent out info, etc....
Obviously, it sounds like the OP wouldn't either.

I have a real problem with the way the school has handled this.For me, that is the real issue.

Good Lord, sequins, rhinestones and tiny lights on a minute portion of someone's foot are not going to have the capabilities needed to generate continually pulsating light to set off a seizure!

Until a proper notification was mailed to everyone, my child would be allowed to wear the shoes in question!

I say it boils down to the haves and have-nots and/or a teacher who has decided they don't like this style of shoe.

 

[FireDancer]

And, does this mean that they are lying about the alleged 'medical issue'.

Lying, probably not technically. There probably is a minuscule chance they could cause an issue but I think they are being at least disingenuous about the real reason.

 

[mamacatnv]

Sorry, I would follow-up with the school. If they want to say it's a distraction, that's fine, but I don't believe it's because of seizures. I have to admit, I'm so sick and tired of the PC world and everyone being special and having special circumstances. So if there is a child who has issues, do they never watch TV in the dark, go to movies, drive in a car because a blinking traffic light could trigger a seizure? I'm also assuming they never play video games or go to Disney because we all know how many different strobes/lights, etc. there are there. I'm just incredulous at how people think the world is going to remove all the obstacles from their lives. What are we teaching our children? Even if you can remove all these obstacles on a school level, do you think an office is going to change all their lightbulbs for you? Or you'll never ride in a car at night because of the flashing headlights as you drive by? I know I'm obviously a heartless, mean, nasty person, but enough already. And we wonder why everyone is a snowflake with thier own special set of circumstances.

Guess I too am heartless and nasty although I tend to think of myself as a realist who has to figure out how to cope with the world around me.

These aren't the rules. If the school had a ban on light up shoes then I would agree with you. If I go out and buy my kids shoes for school and there is no ban on them in the handbook etc. then don't call me and say "Oh- your kid's shoes are too blinky/striped/pretty etc. so you need to get new ones." Sorry but that is ridiculous and no- I would not buy new shoes. Too bad so sad. I am teaching my child to stand up for themselves when they did follow the rules and one person wants to change it to suit themselves.

As far as the shoes everything even as some one said a pencil can be a distraction. You can't change the world for a single person.

Nor should we have to - we all have to learn how to get along in this world - no place will ever be 100% safe to every single person no matter how hard we try.

Still not the right way to handle it....
To not have a standing policy, and then to call a parent and make them come to school and remove the offending shoes NOW....

And, does this mean that they are lying about the alleged 'medical issue'.

I think that every single one of us here would have compassion for a child with a bona-fide medical issue.
I think that the existance of such is still very much in doubt.
There are legal avenues for accommodating children with medical issues.
This ain't it.

Very well said - wraps up the whole issue

 

[C.Ann]

HOly cow! I had no idea these shoes lit up like this! I change my mind...they have no business being in school (like heely's...stupid fad and a total distraction in the first place) and I can TOTALLY see how they might cause a seizure.

look at this website:
http://www.skechers.com/shoes-and-clothing/brands/skechers_twinkle_toes/list

I originally thought they had one blinky light on the side or in the sole, but these things could land a 747.

Took a quick peek.. Those would definitely be a "migraine maker" for me.. I can only imagine what they look like when they're right in front of you..

Personally, I wouldn't buy them for school shoes.. Are they allowed to wear these for gym class?

 

[okeydokey]

Our dress code bans all things that are distracting to other students. The school has all authority to ban the shoes if they want (and silly bands and orange hair and whatever else they want that is against the clearly published dress code.)

 

[wtccheermom]

Probably not. There might be a minuscule chance they could cause an issue but I think they are being at least disingenuous about the real reason.

ITA with you I believe it is than 10% of the population who suffer from Epilepsy that even are affected by lights or what is known as PSE.

The likelihood of such conditions combining to trigger a seizure is small. However, to be safe, photosensitive individuals are advised to keep at a distance from TV screens and to place other lights in the surrounding area to lower the contrast between the brightness on the screen and the background. These conditions protect the viewer and are easy to obtain during TV viewing but not while playing video games or when randomly exposed to strong environmental lights. Therefore, other protective devices or strategies may be needed.

http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/about/photosensitivity/

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

These aren't the rules. If the school had a ban on light up shoes then I would agree with you. If I go out and buy my kids shoes for school and there is no ban on them in the handbook etc. then don't call me and say "Oh- your kid's shoes are too blinky/striped/pretty etc. so you need to get new ones." Sorry but that is ridiculous and no- I would not buy new shoes. Too bad so sad. I am teaching my child to stand up for themselves when they did follow the rules and one person wants to change it to suit themselves.

Standing up for shoes?

After reading this entire thread it seems to me that there is an entire generation of bullies being cultivated!!!!

If a parent and/or child choices not to believe in medical issues, only believes symptoms are text book & don't differ from person to person they either have their head in the sand or believe only in "self" hence the bully breeding!

 

[wtccheermom]

Standing up for shoes?

After reading this entire thread it seems to me that there is an entire generation of bullies being cultivated!!!!

If a parent and/or child choices not to believe in medical issues, only believes symptoms are text book & don't differ from person to person they either have their head in the sand or believe only in "self" hence the bully breeding!

 

[daughtersrus]

Actually the diabetic portion was used because I'm an insulin-dependent Type I diabetic myself, but I would never expect anything out of anyone because of it. I don't need special treatment, I can fend for myself, and I've always felt that way.
.

Not all children can fend for themselves. I know that my DD is one of them. She is completely dependent on an adult for everything both at school and at home.

Funny, I never for one moment saw this as the OP parenting a snowflake....

These posts are just completely out of line....



OP just spent nearly $50.00 bucks on shoes, and feels that the school might be making an unfounded and unwarranted request..... (which I agree... until there is an official 'accomodation' which is proven warranted by the other child's medical diagnosis, and agreed to by all involved with this students IEP....)
.

My posts were not directed to the OP but to those that said that they would continue to allow their children to wear them because they know that the shoes couldn't cause seizures/migraines.

FYI, it could take months to get something added to a child's IEP. Should that child stay home from school while they wait?

Wait a minute I am confused.... Twinkle toe shoes with the jewels on the toes?? They only "sparkle" when light hits them. Not actual flashing lights in the soles.

My DS10 has epilepsy and we let DD5 get Twinkle toes instead of the ones with flashing lights in the soles. We haven't had any trouble with our son and our neurologist said it shouldn't be a problem, at least for my DS.

Bearshouse

The shoes do light up.



The sides of these Twinkle Toe heels light up with every heel strike!
http://www.nextag.com/Skechers-Pres...rices-html?nxtg=5e4b0a1c0518-86942DFF2F7D94FD

Sorry, I would follow-up with the school. If they want to say it's a distraction, that's fine, but I don't believe it's because of seizures. I have to admit, I'm so sick and tired of the PC world and everyone being special and having special circumstances. So if there is a child who has issues, do they never watch TV in the dark, go to movies, drive in a car because a blinking traffic light could trigger a seizure? I'm also assuming they never play video games or go to Disney because we all know how many different strobes/lights, etc. there are there. I'm just incredulous at how people think the world is going to remove all the obstacles from their lives. What are we teaching our children? Even if you can remove all these obstacles on a school level, do you think an office is going to change all their lightbulbs for you? Or you'll never ride in a car at night because of the flashing headlights as you drive by? I know I'm obviously a heartless, mean, nasty person, but enough already. And we wonder why everyone is a snowflake with thier own special set of circumstances.

How about compassion and empathy?

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

Took a quick peek.. Those would definitely be a "migraine maker" for me.. I can only imagine what they look like when they're right in front of you..

Personally, I wouldn't buy them for school shoes.. Are they allowed to wear these for gym class?

You do realize those are digitally enhanced for your computer, right? They are no where near that bright in person.

 

[PrincessMomto2]

Actually the diabetic portion was used because I'm an insulin-dependent Type I diabetic myself, but I would never expect anything out of anyone because of it. I don't need special treatment, I can fend for myself, and I've always felt that way.

And the point of my post was that the "snowflake" term IS thrown around way too often. I don't think people with medical conditions are snowflakes. They only become that when some parents go above and beyond what can be considered reasonable requests for a single child in a school of 2000 students. Even then, it's not the child's fault, but more the fault of the parents.

The girl I went to school with (as I talked about in a PP), had severe migraines, and she left school because there was just no way the school could accommodate her, and her family understood that. Changing the light bulbs in the classrooms would have put a strain on the budget. Try to explain to an entire district of taxpayers why they suddenly have to change light bulbs for a single student? Her parents got that, but I don't think many of today's parents would.

Fair enough by the way the school this girl goes to is a special needs school. She is not the only child that would be impacted. Her parents are far from Snowflakes. They try to make her life as normal as possible. In this case the township built a brand new school for special needs children and put in bulbs that they knew could set off seizures. They had to replace them because the bozo's didn't think about it. When we go out for dinner with them, we have to select a restaurant that does not have blinds for example because in her case they set off seizures. They don't expect the restaurant to take down their blinds. By the way I'm sorry about your problem but someone else eating sugar does not impact you in any way. So there is a difference here.

Also, not having little Molly wear her shoes to school I still feel is not a big deal. I think that is being a snowflake. It is not the end of the world. She can still wear them any other time.

When my dd was in pre-k that little boy had an exceptional bad allergy to peanuts. His parents actually wrote a note to everyone explaining it and yeah it was difficult for us but I did make sure I never sent in anything that contains peanuts. It stinks because my kids can't have home made items brought in for parties or birthdays anymore but you know what? We deal with it and follow the rules.

Now one thing I agree about the ruling in that this particular case needs to be enforced throughout the whole school. I would guess there is a child or children in the school that have seizures since this came from the nurse. But the ruling should be for all students to be fair.