UTILIZATION OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICES IN CHILDREN WHO PRESENT WITH A FIRST UNPROVOKED SEIZURE
Abstract number :
1.018
Submission category :
Year :
2005
Submission ID :
5070
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/3/2005 12:00:00 AM
Published date :
Dec 2, 2005, 06:00 AM
Authors :
1Christine O[apos]Dell, 1David Masur, 3Anne T. Berg, 1Maryana Sigalova, 1Rochelle C. Ledgister, and 1Shlomo Shinnar
To determine the frequency of the utilization of special educational services in children who present with a first unprovoked seizure. In a prospective study, 407 children age one month to 19 years (mean age 6.8 years) with a first unprovoked seizure were recruited and then followed for a mean of 14.4 years. A structured interview was conducted [gt] 10 years after the initial seizure which included questions about education. Educational data were available in 325 (80%) cases and in 101 sibling controls. In the overall cohort, 129 (40%) of the subjects and 23 (23%) of the controls in this predominantly inner city cohort had either received any special educational services including resource room or repeated a grade (SpEd group) at some point (p[lt]0.002). Limiting the analysis to cases with cryptogenic or idiopathic etiology, 85 (33%) of 259 cases compared to 23 (23%) controls were in the SpEd group (p=0.06). Among these 259 cases, 42 (28%) of 152 children who only had one seizure were in the SpEd group compared with 25 (32%) of 79 children with a total of 2 to 9 seizures and 18 (64%) of 28 children with 10 or more seizures over the duration of the study (p=0.0007). Comparing the children with a cryptogenic/idiopathic etiology and only one seizure to the controls, 28% of 152 cases and 23% of controls were in the SpEd group (p=0.39). On the other hand, 40% of 107 children with cryptogenic/idiopathic etiology and recurrent seizures were in the SpEd group which was significantly higher than the control group (p=0.007). Children with recurrent seizures have a higher rate of receiving special educational services than children who present with a single unprovoked seizure or than sibling controls. This is particularly true of those with 10 or more seizures. However, children with a single unprovoked seizure who do not recur have a similar profile of educational needs as controls. These data provide further support for the favorable outcome of children with a single unprovoked seizure. (Supported by NIH grant NS 26151 from NINDS.)