The chance that someone will develop any disease is influenced by heredity and environment. Epilepsy is not an exception. Everybody inherits a unique degree of susceptibility to seizures. About 3 percent of the United States population is prone to seizures and will get epilepsy at some point of their lives (1). Two thirds of the people with…

Epilepsy has one of the worst social outcomes for child development of the common disabilities. For most children, epilepsy is not nearly the physical challenge that many other chronic health disorders are. The problem in raising a child with epilepsy is much more emotional and social. In this first part of a three-part article series, the author…

Epilepsy is the most misunderstood of all neurological disorders known to man. Even though modern medicine (a very recent development in human history) learned that epilepsy was a common variation in biology, the roots laid down by centuries of misunderstanding have yet to be pulled from the society's social consciousness. While medicine and now…

Written for children with seizures and their caregivers, the article answers questions concerning the cause, types, and treatment of seizures. (CL)

Some teenagers with epilepsy only have to deal with seizures, which can be tough enough, but for other teens, seizures are not the only problem. Parents and caregivers often report changes in their teens' abilities to think clearly, learn in school, or remain focused in class. Mood and other behavioral problems may also be seen. It is critical…

The mother of a 21-year-old mentally retarded boy, who also suffers from frequent petit mal seizures, describes the developmental and behavioral problems which led her to seek institutional placement. (LH)

The problems facing an epileptic eight-year-old girl following a seizure in the classroom are discussed. The girl's epilepsy, in this instance, served to exaggerate an already existing conflict between the mother and father. Family counseling was implemented to help resolve the problem. (PHR)