Safety and Seizures Page 16

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Help From the Experts

Some people who have seizures may benefit from talking with professionals who have special training in safety issues.

Experts in this area, called assistive or rehabilitation technology, help people with disabilities identify and select devices that will help them do things that their disabilities might otherwise prevent.

Rehabilitation technology refers to specially adapted equipment that people with seizures or other disabilities may need.

It can be as simple as a grab bar or rail in the right place, or as complex as a two way communication system that keeps someone living alone in touch with a "buddy" at all times.

Our little boy had drop attacks, terrible seizures that made him fall forward on his face, almost like a tree in the forest He hurt his face and his mouth again and again. All the commercial helmets were too big. Finally, we got in touch with a rehab engineer and he made a helmet with special padding so that the helmet would sort of "grow" with the child. It helped a lot, and there were far fewer injuries from the seizures.

Other examples include an electronic tracking device to find an adult or child who tens to wander off during a seizure, or an adapted shower that uses infra-red technology to shut the water supply off when a person falls.

Some devices may be available in local stores, others may have to be adapted from a commercial product or even, in some cases, designed and built from scratch.

The trained professionals who provide help in these areas include occupational therapists, special educators, rehabilitation technology suppliers and rehabilitation engineers.

You can find an assistive or rehabilitation technology specialist in a number of ways.

One source is RESNA, the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (703-524-6686). RESNA offers a referral service to its members throughout the country and should be able to refer you to someone in your area.

Another source is your state's federally-funded Technology Assistance Project. These projects are designed to make assistive technology available to anyone who needs it. The program specializes in getting people with special needs together with experts who can help them.

Information about local Technology Assistance Projects is also available from RESNA.

You may also wish to contact the American Occupational Therapy Association, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220 Tel: (301)652-2682.

The National Institute for Rehabilitation Engineering, P.O. Box T, Hewitt, New Jersey 07421 Tel: (201)853-6585 is a source for information on custom-made tools and devices for people with disabilities.

Your local affiliate of the Epilepsy Foundation is familiar with local resources and can help you locate other services you need.

EF affiliates offer a range of services to people with epilepsy and can often put you in touch with other people facing the same kinds of issues you deal with every day.

To locate the Epilepsy Foundation affiliate nearest you, or for more information about epilepsy, call the national office at 1-800-EFA-100. Or check at the Epilepsy Foundation's Web Site on the Internet, http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org.

For a free copy of EF's catalog of books, videos, and pamphlets, call: 1-800-213-5231.

How You Can Help

Become an EF member ($25 per year) and receive regular issues of the EF newspaper, EpilepsyUSA. To join, write or call Membership Services at our National Office, 4351 Garden City Drive, Landover, MD 20785 or contact the Epilepsy Foundation of Idaho.

Become a volunteer for your local affiliate or become a donor and support the organization that is working for you. Your gifts to EF's national office or your EF affiliate will be put to work in the continuing struggle to solve epilepsy's problems through research, education, advocacy and service.

 

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Disclaimer

This information is based on common experience. It does not reflect the level of risk or need for safety measures of any individual. People vary in their need for safety measures and readers with seizures are warned not to base lifestyle changes on this material without first consulting a physician.

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