Seizures in Autistic Children

by Kim Goff, Philadelphia Special Needs Kids Examiner

My son Christian, is PDD-NOS, 8-years-old and has never had any serious medical problems. So, we were horrified when he suffered from a seizure in December 2008. According to WebMD.com, “one in four autistic children can develop epileptic seizures, typically during adolescence. It is believed that the seizures are triggered by hormonal changes. The seizures may be noticeable, with clear symptoms such as convulsions, blacking out, or odd body movements. However for some, the seizures are not quite so obvious. In these cases, tantrums, self-injury, little academic progress during the teen years, or a loss of previously-acquired behavioral skills may be subtle signs of a subclinical seizure disorder”. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to educate parents about the potential risk of seizures that is linked to autism, as well as general information and resources.

What is a seizure?

WebMD.com states that seizures are sudden bursts of abnormal electrical activity in the brain that may affect a person's muscle control, movement, speech, vision, or awareness (consciousness). The effects of seizures depend on a person's individual response, as well as the seizure type, frequency, and severity. Some seizures make a person fall to the ground in convulsions, in which the muscles stiffen or jerk out of control. Others may stare in a trancelike state, have only a few muscle twitches, or sense a strange smell or visual disturbance not experienced by anyone else.

Autism and Seizure Disorder

Approximately 20% to 35% of individuals with autism have a seizure disorder. About one in four autistic individuals begin to have seizures during puberty. The exact reason for the onset of seizures is not known, but it is likely that the seizure activity may be due to hormonal changes in the body. Sometimes these seizures are noticeable, (ie. associated with convulsions); but, for many, they are small, subclinical seizures, and are typically not detected by simple observation. Some possible signs of subclinical activity include the following: exhibiting behavior problems, such as aggression, self-injury, and severe tantrums; making little or no academic gains after doing well during childhood and pre-teen years; and/or losing some behavioral and/or cognitive gains.

What to do if your child suffers a seizure

• Protect the person from injury.
• Keep him or her from falling if you can, or try to guide the person gently to the floor.
• Try to move furniture or other objects that might injure the person during the seizure.
• If the person is having a seizure and is on the ground when you arrive, try to position the person on his or her side so that fluid can leak out of the mouth. But be careful not to apply too much pressure to the body.
• Do not force anything, including your fingers, into the person's mouth. Putting something in the person's mouth may cause injuries to him or her, such as chipped teeth or a fractured jaw. You could also get bitten.
• Do not try to hold down or move the person. This can cause injury, such as a dislocated shoulder.
• Call 911
  

If your child suffers a seizure it is important that you are able to provide as much information as possible to the medical staff treating your child. Try to remember the following:

• What happened prior to the seizure (behavior, injuries, lack of sleep, medication, etc.)
• The length of the seizure
• Behavior of person after the seizure
  

For more information on seizures please visit the author’s resource list below.

Resources:
http://www.epilepsyontario.org
http://www.webmd.com

Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-3971-Philadelphia-Special-Needs-Kids-Examiner~y2009m2d23-Seizures-in-Autistic-Children

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