2005 Kids Speak Up! Participant Biography

Diana Hoffman

Age: 11
Grade: 6
Central Pa.

For Diana Hoffman, one of the hardest things she has been confronted with has been the stigma associated with her epilepsy. Dealing with the disappointing social expectations people have of a child with epilepsy has been especially difficult for Diana as she has been deprived of several academic opportunities due to her condition. Her family believes many schools in her area have been fearful of the possibility that Diana's seizures will be too disruptive to the classroom activity and require extensive supervision.

Diana is very open about her personal experiences with epilepsy and has made great strides in educating her teachers and classmates about her illness.

As an advocate with the 2005 Kids Speak Up! program, Diana aims to increase understanding of the alienating impact seizures can have on a child's life. For Diana, experiencing seizures, as well as people's reaction to them, has made her feel different from her peers. Diana believes that everyone can help eliminate stigma by treating people with epilepsy the same way they treat other children and by providing them with the same opportunities.

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