Can epilepsy affect students learning?
Cognitive impairments that affect language, memory, attention, and other abilities critical to normal development are common among people with epilepsy. As many as half of those with the disorder experience learning problems, ranging from mild difficulties to severe dysfunction.
What things can affect learning for a student with epilepsy?
Some of the difficulties students with epilepsy may experience are problems with:
- Short and long term memory.
- Attention and concentration.
- Visual and/or verbal learning – reading, spelling, rote learning, speech and language.
- Perceptual abilities, numeracy, problem-solving and memory recall.
Can epilepsy cause a learning disability?
Generally, having a learning disability does not cause epilepsy, and having epilepsy does not cause a learning disability. Some people may have epilepsy and learning disabilities, and both may be caused by the same underlying problem in the way their brain works.
Does epilepsy affect academic performance?
Most children with epilepsy have no learning prob- lems and do well at school. However, for a variety of reasons, there’s a higher rate of school performance difficulties in children with seizures. Seizures themselves rarely cause these problems, but many factors related to seizures can affect learning.
Does epilepsy affect intelligence?
[6,7] Dodson[8] reported that children with epilepsy have an intelligence quotient (IQ) score that is 10 points lower than their healthy, age-matched peers. Epilepsy can affect a person’s education, career, general health, mental health, and marriage, among other things.
Is epilepsy a special educational need?
Epilepsy can start from any age, but is most common in childhood. It can also develop as a result of an acquired brain injury, stroke or brain tumour. Epilepsy is usually managed by anti-seizure medication. Epilepsy is a disability and can result in special educational needs (SEN).
Can epilepsy affect intelligence?
Does epilepsy affect cognition?
Neurocognitive impairment is frequent in epilepsy patients. Causes are multiple, and may be influenced by several factors including the epilepsy syndrome. Most cognitive complaints in adult patients are mental slowness, memory difficulties and attention deficits.
Does epilepsy cause speech delays?
Adults with epilepsy often complain of difficulties with language (especially difficulties in coming up with words), but for most of them the problems are not severe enough to be classified as a bona fide aphasia.
How does epilepsy affect intellectually?
Epilepsy and Cognitive Disorders The most frequent cognitive complaints in adults are feeling slowed down mentally, memory impairment, and attention problems. Memory problems are an important feature of seizures arising from one part of the brain called the temporal lobe. Short-term memory problems are seen most often.
Can epilepsy affect concentration?
Seizures can affect your concentration both during and after a seizure. If they happen during classes or lectures, it can be hard to concentrate on what is being said or to take notes. If you know that your epilepsy affects your ability to concentrate, having someone to take notes for you might be helpful.
Does epilepsy affect thinking?
People with epilepsy commonly report having problems with their thinking and memory. Here’s a few examples of the problems people may report. Trouble remembering names that they once knew. Forgetting appointments or having trouble remembering when to take their medicines.
How does epilepsy affect learning?
Some children with some epilepsy syndromes are more likely to have learning difficulties than others. Epileptic seizures can disrupt normal brain activity, and this can stop memory from working properly. The confusion that can happen for your child after a seizure may also cause memory loss.
How do you teach children with epilepsy?
Learn as much as you can about epilepsy. Discuss epilepsy openly and honestly with your child and help your child talk openly and honestly with others about epilepsy. Avoid saying things that could make your child feel like a problem or burden. Be positive. Praise your child’s success. Encourage sports, hobbies, and other interests.
What is life like for someone with epilepsy?
Reduction in life expectancy can be up to 2 years for people with a diagnosis of idiopathic/cryptogenic epilepsy, and the reduction can be up to 10 years in people with symptomatic epilepsy. Reductions in life expectancy are highest at the time of diagnosis and diminish with time.
What is the cure for epilepsy?
Epilepsy is usually treated with medicines which try to stop the seizures from happening. Information about epilepsy surgery for adults and children. VNS therapy involves a small electrical device which is implanted under the skin to reduce the number of seizures and make them less severe.