I have recently received a new student diagnosed with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, who experiences both Grand Mal seizures and constant "silent" seizures. After his latest Grand Mal seizure, he lost many skills, Including his ability to dress himself. He has a very high IQ, and very supportive parents. He has relearned how to dress himself, but is experiencing great difficulty learning to read. He often experiences full memory loss in conjunction with his seizures, and it seems as if this memory loss is affecting his ability to retain both words and skills.  

I would greatly appreciate any information you might have regarding proven, effective techniques to help him learn to read.

Answer:

I have had people ask me a lot of questions about childhood seizures and how they affect a child’s performance in the classroom. Many are based on the assumption that if a particular part of the brain is involved, then the child’s difficulties should express in ways related to that portion of the cortex. Unfortunately there is no “set” method for a teacher to deal with a child with seizures, even though they may be known to involve the temporal lobe.

This child’s “neurological” deficits could be more complex than just a temporal lobe seizure focus. There may also be some neurological damage either predating or related to his severe seizures. His medication can also have side effects of behavioral changes or lethargy.

Given all of the above reasons, the approach to this child would be the same as that for any learning disabled child. He needs full cognitive assessment, as well as educational testing and speech and language. For this child, one would want to make sure that the testing is done on an optimal day relative to his seizures and medications. The reading approach would be that dictated by his cognitive and academic strengths and weaknesses.

The main difference in approach to a child with seizures, such as your pupil, would be that his teacher and IEP team need to be aware that cognitive functioning can change in children with seizures either related to anoxia related to the seizure, to medication, or perhaps improvement with better seizure control. Cognitive testing may need to be done more frequently than every 3 years, albeit a modified testing battery would probably suffice.

If this answer is not sufficient and you continue to have concerns about this pupi’s reading, you might consider a referral to the Diagnostic Center for assessment of best teaching methods for his particular learning disability.