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Epilepsy Awareness Month

A month dedicated to raising awareness of epilepsy, a neurological condition that often co-occurs with autism. Understanding epilepsy is essential for many autism families.

History

November is observed in the US as Epilepsy Awareness Month. For autism families it is a timely reminder: a 2013 study of 5,815 autistic children found an average epilepsy prevalence of 12.5 percent among those aged 2 to 17, rising to 26 percent among those aged 13 and older.

SOURCES

Viscidi EW, et al. Clinical characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorder and co-occurring epilepsy. PLoS One, 2013

How to Participate

→Learn about the relationship between autism and epilepsy
→Understand seizure first aid, what to do and what not to do
→Advocate for seizure action plans in schools and community settings
→Support research into the neurological connections between autism and epilepsy
→Connect with epilepsy support communities if your family is affected

EPILEPSYSEIZURESCO-OCCURRINGHEALTH

EXPLORE MORE

Autism Glossary →Resource Library →Acceptance vs Awareness →