Education and Employment

People with epilepsy are an integral part of society. More than two million of your fellow citizens have epilepsy. Most of them go to school, get jobs, marry, have children, pursue their dreams and ambitions and -- despite the challenges associated with epilepsy -- lead fulfilling lives. However, people with hard-to-control seizures have a much more difficult time trying to come to grips with epilepsy's special problems and may need extra help in many areas.

Education

It sometimes comes as a surprise to the general public to learn that people with epilepsy finish high school and many go to college and get professional degrees. That's because of the old myth that epilepsy is inevitably linked to lower mental abilities.

However, if seizures are caused by brain damage that has also reduced IQ or caused learning disabilities, the process of education may be more difficult. Adjustments in workload and scheduling may make all the difference. For example, you may find yourself capable of carrying a full load of work, or you may decide to pace yourself more slowly, or even take a lighter credit load. Understanding your personal strengths and weaknesses will help you make decisions in this area.

You should avoid all-night study sessions before final exams. While other students can get away with this approach, severe lack of sleep when you have epilepsy increases the possibility of a seizure.

Sometimes the medications pose a problem at school. They may slow down reaction time to the point where the student cannot complete examinations in the allotted time, even though he or she may know the material well. Or, brief seizures may affect attention.

If this happens to you, discuss it with your doctor. Perhaps a change in medication can help. If not, a letter to your academic counselor from your doctor may be appropriate. Some colleges will make special arrangements for students whose medical conditions affect their performance in some way. If you have a diagnosed learning disability in addition to epilepsy, you may be eligible for special arrangements to help you succeed.

For example, if you have difficulty understanding written questions, you may be able to take an exam using pre-taped questions fed into headphones. If you have difficulty writing, you may be able to tape record your answers or use a computer to type your answer.

Getting a job

Today people with epilepsy are working at hundreds of different kinds of jobs from one end of the country to the other. Many of these people have excellent seizure control, but not all of them do. Having occasional (or even fairly frequent) seizures may make your job hunt more difficult, but not impossible.

In fact, there are certain things you can do to increase your chances of getting a job. If you are just entering the job market, decide what sort of job you want and take a long look at the qualifications you'll need to reach that goal. The better qualified you are, the better your chances of success.

If your seizure control is not yet good enough for you to get a driver's license, avoid occupations that would require you to drive as part of the job, or that would place you in hazardous situations. Think about jobs that allow you to work at home, at your own pace. Keep in mind that the growth of the Internet economy has created many non-traditional job opportunities for people with computer skills.

If your seizure control is completely reliable, almost all jobs should be open to you. In fact, the only thing you may want to do that other job applicants don't is to learn how to talk comfortably about epilepsy with other people so that, if you discuss your epilepsy with an employer, you can explain how much or how little impact it has on your ability to perform your job well.

It is not always necessary to discuss epilepsy with a potential employer, however. Whether you do or not is up to you. If you have excellent seizure control and the employer does not ask any health-related questions, there's no reason to start talking about epilepsy unless you want to. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, employers with more than 15 employees may not ask any health-related questions until after they have offered you the job.

The important thing is whether you are able to do the job as described. Employers are also required to make reasonable accommodation for a disability.

If you decide to talk about your epilepsy, or if you have to because of a legal question from the employer (after a job has been offered), remember that the more confident, well-informed, and relaxed you can be, the more reassured the employer is likely to be.

Explain how long you've had epilepsy and how well it's controlled. If you drive, say so. Say how long you've been seizure-free. Explain that research studies show the longer people are free of seizures, the greater the likelihood they will stay that way.

If you've never had a convulsive seizure in your life, mention that as well. Remember, the average person thinks everyone with epilepsy has convulsions all the time.

If you have only occasional seizures, point that out, too. Explain that if one should occur it will only last a very short time. And always explain how this condition actually affects your ability to perform in a job. Remember, too, that studies show people who have acquired good job skills have a better chance of getting a job, whether or not they have epilepsy.

If you feel you have been unfairly treated by a prospective employer and you want to challenge it, check with a lawyer. You can also get further information on epilepsy and legal rights from the Epilepsy Foundation.

In many communities, the local Epilepsy Foundation offers programs that help people with epilepsy to find jobs.