Children’s brains reorganize after epilepsy surgery to retain visual perception

NIH-funded study shows that in children, the brain can compensate for missing regions of the visual cortex. Children can keep full visual perception — the ability to process and understand visual information — after brain surgery for severe epilepsy, according to a study funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health. While brain surgery can halt seizures, it carries significant risks, including an impairment in visual perception. However, a […]

How ABLE Accounts Support Special-Needs Children and Their Families

BY Dawn Doebler, MBA, CPA, CFP®, CDFA®, Senior Wealth Advisor ABLE accounts are an important planning tool alongside more-traditional techniques such as special-needs trusts. One financial challenge that many families with special-needs children confront is funding the ever-growing expenses that their child may need over their lifetime. With additional costs of important medical and support care often reaching over $100,000 per year for a special-needs child, many families look to special government programs to fill […]

Disability Etiquette

Introduction The United States Census Bureau reports that approximately 56.7 million Americans have a disability. This report is for anyone—with or without a disability—who wants to interact more effectively with people with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was conceived with the goal of integrating people with disabilities into all aspects of life, particularly the workplace and the marketplace. Sensitivity toward people with disabilities is not only in the spirit of the ADA, […]

Ketogenic Diet for Kids with Epilepsy

The ketogenic diet may be a treatment option for kids with epilepsy who are not successfully treated with medication or are not candidates for surgery. This is a very high-fat diet that has been used for almost 100 years to treat epilepsy. Approximately two-thirds of children have a greater than 50 percent reduction in seizures, and up to 25 percent can become seizure free. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Dietary Treatment Program takes a team […]

Epilepsy Seizure Medications

Seizure medications are usually the first treatment option to help control seizures in children with epilepsy. Learn more about the different medications. There are many types of medications used to treat seizures and epilepsy. Medications are selected based on the type of seizure, age of the child, side effects, the cost of the medication, and the adherence with the use of the medication. Medications used at home are usually taken by mouth (as capsules, tablets, […]