Making the Transition from High School to College

By Sylvia Blair
Epilepsy USA staff
Posted: September 5, 2003

This fall, 18-year-old Stephanie Savino will be entering her freshman year at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pa.

Like all those bound for college, Savino knows there will be challenges. More homework and sleepless nights. The adjustment of leaving home.

But unlike the majority of her new peers, Savino is also worrying about having a seizure on campus.

“I tell myself that the campus will probably be a friendly place and people will be there to help,” she said.

Eighteen-year-old Rachelle Johnson agrees. She also has epilepsy and will be entering West Virginia University this fall.

“I think people in college will be more accepting because differences are better understood at the college level,” she said.

Eighteen-year-old Jonathan Rado is also making the transition to college. He will attend Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in Erie, Pa.

“About the only thing to worry about is making sure I take all of my medicine since I will not have anyone there to remind me. Also I have more stuff to take with me because I have a tracheotomy that helps me breath,” he said.

These confident teens with epilepsy are lucky to have few worries about the next phase in their lives.

Then there are those teens with epilepsy who are fearful, unprepared, get poor grades and are in need of much support before considering college.

Lynn Bennett Blackburn, Ph.D., is a pediatric neuropsychologist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. She works with families and children, including teens with epilepsy.

“I see a general reluctance in teens with epilepsy to leave home and live with strangers who may not understand their epilepsy. Some go to college and tell no one about their seizures, then feel embarrassed when they have one,” she said.

“Teens need to build up the confidence to tell a roommate or anyone they are comfortable with about their epilepsy. By planning in advance who they are going to tell and what they are going to say, it can ease the anxiety,” Blackburn said.

One area of concern may be college entrance exams, which are based on speed and accuracy. Medication side effects and problems with memory may make it difficult to succeed on these tests because of slower processing speed.

“These students can request a modification,” Blackburn said. “It can be documented by the high school guidance counselor who can provide the information needed for a modification. As a result, they can get extra time to take tests,” Blackburn said.

Some teens with epilepsy who have learning disabilities feel they cannot go to college. They may not believe the help they had in high school carries over into higher education.

“Schools with federal money have learning disability programs that serve students with needs related to epilepsy, for example,” Blackburn said.

Some of the accommodations that are possible include tape-recorded textbooks, getting an assigned note-taker in class, open book/open note exams, or use of multiple choice/true or false/matching on tests.

How can parents help the reluctant teen with epilepsy successfully move from high school to college?

“Parents should help their children practice independence in everyday things like doing laundry, managing money, and taking their medicine every day – and they should do this long before kids leave for college,” Blackburn said. “If parents are extremely overprotective, there will be some problems in the transition.”

Moreover, the same basic rules that all college students should follow about their health also apply to students with epilepsy.

“College students with epilepsy need to eat healthy, get enough sleep and drink responsibly when they are of age. And don’t forget doctor’s appointments,” Blackburn said.