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Unfortunalty, yes. Seizures and Autism are a major problem that both are lifelong, and both are treatable. You Have to be really careful about these seizures. Constantly be on watch because if any seizures last more than 30 seconds, the child must be rushed to the emergency room, ASAP... Any false timing is fatal.
My Brother (who has Autism and was recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes) Had a classmate whom was really young about 3 years ago, and he died In December, before seeing his teenage years or his last Christmas because he had a seizure in his sleep and no one was awake to watch..
However, the Autism is less fatal. This is a powerful and sad behavioral problem that cannot be completely solved, but can be help with therapy for the child. Autism means that the child will not be able to communicate as well as many other people ever in their lives. It also means order, repetition, and the least amount of Change as possible. Any change is devastating to a Child with Autism.
Unfortunately there is no cure yet for either things.. but you can help by making sure that the epileptic child stays away from flashing screens and fast movement as much as possible.
Medical insurance covers, (usually) with reluctance, any autistic child's therapy. With Hope, the child will be able to live a happy life.
Two last things, ask for more information from the child's pediatrician
Lastly, the child was not born with autism. He developed it very early. Don't make the verbal mistake of saying he was born with it.
Good Luck
some kids grow out of seizures, some don't. medication can control the seizures. there is no way of telling if it will be a lifelong thing. if you are worried, sit down and talk with your mom about getting the best solution for him. makeing the house safer for him is important. if he has a seizure, he needs to be in a place that is safe, so he won't injure himself. There shouldn't be sharp table edges and things like that. Talk to his doctor with your mother and see what he thinks would be best for medication if he isn't on one already. you may want someone to come into his home to see what they can do to make it safer for him. good luck.
Hi, ive looked this information up for you so hope it helps
The majority of autistic persons do not have seizures. However, they are at higher risk for seizures if they have certain specific neurologic conditions, such as tuberous sclerosis, neurofibromatosis, untreated phenylketonuria.
Infantile spasms (sudden generalized muscle contractions, usually beginning between ages 3 and 8 months) do occur in association with autism, often in young children who have tuberous sclerosis or other significant neurologic problems.
There are many autistic persons who have behavior and mannerisms, e.g., swaying, sudden repetitive movements, which may raise questions about a seizure disorder. This is a valid concern because seizures can reduce one's awareness of the environment and/or create anxiety and thus enhance autistic behavior and communication problems.
Seizures are sudden and without provoking events. If an autistic person's suspected "seizures" are clearly the consequence of anger, frustration, fear, these episodes are probably not seizures. (On occasion, seizures are provoked by certain light frequencies or sounds. Seizures can also be brought on by prolonged hyperventilation in a person susceptible to seizures.)
Seizures generally follow a similar -pattern each time, although some seizures might be more intense and prolonged than others. If the autistic person's "seizures" are varied in movements and mannerisms, these events are probably not seizures.
Generalized seizures are often associated with an aura (perhaps a sense of fear or odd sensations) and may be followed by a headache, weakness or exhaustion. If the autistic person has had a major "seizure," it is unlikely he would immediately resume his regular activity. Meaning he would need to sleep for a long period of time to recover.
Absence attacks, often suggested by the autistic person's staring mannerisms, involve brief (less than 10 seconds unless frequent episodes) loss of consciousness, often with some eyeblinking or mild facial movements. Complex partial seizures, which can also involve staring, are also often associated with some associated movements, lip-smacking, shuddering. If an autistic person has frequent staring episodes, it is important to determine if there is any response to environmental stimuli and whether there are any associated movements.
If there is any question about repeated, unpredictable and similar episodes of unusual behavior and/or movements, an electroencephalogram (EEG) should be done. A sleep EEG is usually the most productive. Obtaining an EEG in the autistic population can require patience, creative scheduling, and sedation. An EEG is done to help localize the origin of the abnormal electrical activity in the brain and can help determine the most appropriate therapy. Other diagnostic studies might be necessary. An MRI or CT would be done to rule out a brain tumor or malformation. Blood studies would be done to rule out metabolic disturbances. In very puzzling cases, EEG telemetry might be used.
If the EEG supports the clinical diagnosis of a seizure disorder or if the clinical history is strongly suggestive but an EEG is unobtainable, anticonvulsant therapy should be considered. Carbamazepine (Tegretol) and valproic acid (Depakene) are the most commonly used anticonvulsants. They have relatively few significant side effects, and often have positive behavioral effects--the improved behaviors may not relate to seizure control. There are a variety of other traditional anticonvulsants, including phenobarbital, diphenylhydantoin (Dilantin), and ethosuximide (Zarontin). Barbiturates often make children more hyperactive and irritable, and diphenylhydantoin has a range of subtle metabolic, endocrinologic, and neurologic side effects. There are also a variety of newer anticonvulsants (vigabatrin, lamotrigine, gabapentin) which hold promise.
If prescribed the right medication for the right type of seizures children will either outgrow the seizures and then their medication is reduced abit more and more till they nolonger need it. In some cases a child may need to stay on medication the rest of their life but the seizures will be under control by their medication. If UNTREATED the seizures can become worse and in the long run causing more brain damage (due to loss of oxygen to the brain).
In some cases the seizures go away as they age but your family needs to get him on some medication to stop them. DEPAKOTE is commonly used so you should encourage your mom to get him on them now!
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