Developmental Disabilities
A Teaching Resource Web-Kit
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American's with Disabilities Act
Administration for Children and Families
People who have been diagnosed with epilepsy have had more than one seizure and possibly more than one type of seizure. A seizure occurs when certain atypical electrical activity in the brain causes an involuntary change in body movement or function, sensation, awareness, or behavior. Epilepsy affects about 2.3 million Americans. People of all ages are affected, but it is more common with the young and old.
What causes epilepsy is not always clear but it can result from another condition such as head injury, brain tumor, brain infection, or stroke. Repeated seizures can happen without warning and for no clear reason. The way a seizure manifests itself may vary from person to person. Some people lose muscle control and the body may twitch or jerk. Some people become “trance-like” or unconscious. Not every one who has a seizure has epilepsy.
There are different types of epileptic seizures including generalized seizures and partial seizures. Generalized seizures begin over the entire surface of the brain and may affect the whole body while partial seizures begin in a specific location in the brain and may cause cognitive impairment on one side of the body or the whole body. A useful test in diagnosing epilepsy is an electroencephalograph (EEG) or an MRI. Epilepsy can be treated with medication to control seizures as well as with special diet and, in some cases, surgery.
According to the Center for Disease Control, “people with epilepsy often struggle to overcome low self-esteem and the stigma that is attached to having epilepsy. The stigma is due in part to a lack of understanding by people they see every day – family members, schoolmates, colleagues. Some people mistakenly believe that epilepsy is a form of mental illness or mental retardation, that seizures are something to fear, that drastic first aid measures must be taken to help someone having a seizure, or that people with epilepsy cannot be valuable and productive employees. Public education is needed to eliminate these misconceptions”.
References
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
http://www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/
Rowette, L. Dan Yahoo!Health Epilepsy
http://health.yahoo.com/ency/healthwise/hw108148
Myth: People with disabilities should live in protective settings, such as group homes or nursing facilities, with other people with disabilities.
Reality: People with disabilities have the
right to live as independently as possible in the community setting of their
choice.