Epilepsy

Description

Epilepsy is a chronic disorder, the hallmark of which is recurrent, unprovoked seizures. Many people with epilepsy have more than one type of seizure and may have other symptoms of neurological problems as well.

http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/epilepsy-101/what-epilepsy?gclid=Cj0KEQiAsNyxBRDBuKrMhsbt3vwBEiQAdRgPsqOXQHBC9IqUJLhTMxsakhszUZD2G1Rs_7jauVUyn4gaAm6D8P8HAQ

Indicators

The first step in being prepared is to recognize warning signs of possible seizures. While a variety of behaviors may occur in different types of seizures, not all behavioral changes are seizures. Some symptoms may be due to other medical problems or even due to side effects of medicine. Seizures are usually…

Unpredictable - you often can't predict when and where a seizure may happen
Episodic - seizures can come and go
Brief - usually last only seconds to a few minutes
Stereotypical - symptoms are similar whenever they occur

Symptoms include:

• "Blackouts" or periods of confused memory
• Episodes of staring or unexplained periods of unresponsiveness
• Involuntary movement of arms and legs
• "Fainting spells" with incontinence or followed by excessive fatigue
• Odd sounds, distorted perceptions, or episodic feelings of fear that cannot be explained.

Now consider the different feelings or behaviors that may occur at the beginning, middle or end of a seizure. Sometimes these symptoms may be considered a warning to a seizure or are part of the seizure itself.

http://epilepsy.emedtv.com/epilepsy/epilepsy-symptoms.html

Accommodations

What kinds of accommodations should be made for students with epilepsy? It really depends on what kind of seizures the student has and how often he/she has seizures. Accommodations may also be needed due to side effects of medications or dietary needs.

Some basic accommodations are as follows:

• Extended time for assignments and tests 
• Special transportation (this provides seat belts as well as an aid on the bus to assist if the student has a seizure in transport 
• Rest periods (this is often necessary after a seizure) 
• Lunch in an alternative setting (only if the student struggles with sticking to a special diet) 
• A personal paraprofessional may be needed for a student who has many seizures in a day and could be injured by his/her surroundings
• Cuing 
• Activities to focus less on retrieval of information and more on recognition tasks 
• Expose them to the new information as often as possible 
• Individual instruction- one-on-one tutorials can support the regular curriculum by addressing the same themes and topics multiple times
• Test for understanding rather than specific facts

http://www.examiner.com/article/epilepsy-basics-and-school-accommodations
http://edmedkids.arizona.edu/content/educational-implications-1