Developmental Disabilities: Epilepsy

1
Developmental DisabilitiesEpilepsy

• KNR 270

2
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

• Defined
• Severe, chronic disability
• Attributable to mental or physical impairment
• Manifested before age 22
• 0-18/22, during developmental stages
• Likely to continue indefinitely
• Results in substantial limitations in life
  activities
• May need life long services
• Range from mild to severe

3
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABIITIES

• Intellectual disability
• (Mental retardation)
• Cerebral palsy
• Epilepsy
• Autism

4
SEIZURE

• Seizure defined
• Sudden alteration in behavior or motor function,
  consciousness
• Involuntary motor activities
• Caused by abnormal electrical discharge from
  brain
• Any one can have a seizure under the right
  circumstance, if threshold is passed
• Not everyone who has a seizure has epilepsy

5
EPILEPSY

• Defined
• 2 or more seizures
• Not provoked
• Provoked
• Seizure has a defined cause
• Once cause disappears, no more seizures
• Tendency to experience recurrent seizures
• Electrical system in brain malfunctions

6
EPILEPSY

• 70-80 have seizures controlled
• Medications like Phenobarbital, Dilantin,
  Tegretol
• Episodic disability
• Psychological and social problems connected
• Often secondary disability (MR, CP, TBI)

7
Epilepsy

• No single cause
• 50 unknown
• Scar tissue
• Head injury
• Genetic
• Lack of oxygen at birth
• Infectious disease

8
TYPES OF SEIZURES

• Generalized
• Effects all of brain
• Tonic - clonic / Grand Mal / Convulsive
• Auras
• Tonic stiffening of body, hold breath
• Clonic rhythmic contractions
• Post-ictal confused, sore muscles, fatigued
• Most common seizure
• Lasts several to 5 minutes

9
TYPES OF SEIZURES

• Generalized continued
• Absence / Petit Mal / Nonconvulsive
• Simple starring
• Twitching of hand, arm, eyelids
• Automatisms picking at clothes
• 5-30 seconds
• Showers of seizures
• 50-100 times/day

10
TYPES OF SEIZURES

• Partial / focal/ local
• Effects only part of brain
• Febrile seizure
• Fever with childhood illness
• Convulsions are generalized
• Relatively common
• Not connected with epilepsy

11
STATUS EPILEPTICUS

• 1 seizure after another
• Prolonged seizure
• 5 minutes
• Or 2-3 minutes longer than normal
• Medical emergency

12
Considerations/Accommodations
13
What would you do if someone had a seizure in
your program?
14
Considerations/Accommodations

• Strobe lights can trigger in some people
• Once seizures are controlled, person should be
  able to participate in sports physical activity
• Watch (supervise/buddy system)
• Swimming water activities
• Climbing falls
• Direct contact (e.g., soccer)