Robert.Bowes5th@p0.f4.n382.z1.fidonet.org (Robert Bowes5th) (12/14/90)
Index Number: 12494 Epilepsy: You and your child. Information for parents. Introduction It is always a shock for a family to learn that a child has epilepsy. But out of that initial shock and dismay can be built an understanding, loving, and accepting environment in which the child can grow in self-confidence, secure that he/she is loved, believing in his own ability to succeed. A psychologist who for many years has counseled families in which there is a child with epilepsy believes that the way the child learns to think about himself/herself and his/her epilepsy at home has a great deal to do with the kind of person he/she becomes in later life. If a child learns to be anxious and fearful about epilepsy, if he/she is sheltered from the outside world by well-meaning parents, if he/she learns to regard his/her epilepsy as the dominant feature of his/her life, he/she will become dependent and immature, both in childhood and in adult life. But if the child is encouraged to treat his/her seizures as a temporary inconvenience, and to join with other children of his/her age in everyday activities, if he/she is able to share in community and family life to the utmost, he/she has a much better chance of growing up to be a secure and independent person. That early confidence will also give him/her a less sensitive reaction to the ignorance of others and will enable him/her to to make the most of his/her own potential. If you are the parent of a child with epilepsy, remember that your child has not changed in himself/herself since the diagnosis was made. Your son is still the same child who likes to play ball. Your daughter is the same little girl who wanted to join the Brownie troop last week--and still wants to. This handbook is designed to help you as a parent, and to answer some of the basic questions you may have about epilepsy and your child. It deals primarily with day to day living and is based on what psychologists have discovered in their studies of epilepsy and family life. It also reflects the experiences of other parents of children with epilepsy, parents who have felt the kind of pressures you may be feeling now. A list of sources for more information on epilepsy is included at the back of the book. The Epilepsy Foundation of America provides information and referral services through its local affiliates or its headquarters office in Landover,MD. -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!382!4.0!Robert.Bowes5th Internet: Robert.Bowes5th@p0.f4.n382.z1.fidonet.org
Robert.Bowes5th@p0.f4.n382.z1.fidonet.org (Robert Bowes5th) (01/08/91)
Index Number: 12685 Epilepsy: You and your child. Information for parents. Introduction It is always a shock for a family to learn that a child has epilepsy. But out of that initial shock and dismay can be built an understanding, loving, and accepting environment in which the child can grow in self-confidence, secure that he/she is loved, believing in his own ability to succeed. A psychologist who for many years has counseled families in which there is a child with epilepsy believes that the way the child learns to think about himself/herself and his/her epilepsy at home has a great deal to do with the kind of person he/she becomes in later life. If a child learns to be anxious and fearful about epilepsy, if he/she is sheltered from the outside world by well-meaning parents, if he/she learns to regard his/her epilepsy as the dominant feature of his/her life, he/she will become dependent and immature, both in childhood and in adult life. But if the child is encouraged to treat his/her seizures as a temporary inconvenience, and to join with other children of his/her age in everyday activities, if he/she is able to share in community and family life to the utmost, he/she has a much better chance of growing up to be a secure and independent person. That early confidence will also give him/her a less sensitive reaction to the ignorance of others and will enable him/her to to make the most of his/her own potential. If you are the parent of a child with epilepsy, remember that your child has not changed in himself/herself since the diagnosis was made. Your son is still the same child who likes to play ball. Your daughter is the same little girl who wanted to join the Brownie troop last week--and still wants to. This handbook is designed to help you as a parent, and to answer some of the basic questions you may have about epilepsy and your child. It deals primarily with day to day living and is based on what psychologists have discovered in their studies of epilepsy and family life. It also reflects the experiences of other parents of children with epilepsy, parents who have felt the kind of pressures you may be feeling now. A list of sources for more information on epilepsy is included at the back of the book. The Epilepsy Foundation of America provides information and referral services through its local affiliates or its headquarters office in Landover,MD. -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!382!4.0!Robert.Bowes5th Internet: Robert.Bowes5th@p0.f4.n382.z1.fidonet.org