Children living with epilepsy or seizure disorder may experience problems with learning and schoolwork but that is not a given. Some epileptic children display basic learning difficulties with subjects like math and reading, or may be slower to grasp certain basic academic concepts than other children, or have difficulty retaining learned information and recalling it for testing purposes. Some children with epilepsy also display a lack of concentration, able to maintain focus for only short periods of time before becoming inattentive and in some cases hyperactive.

It is not only the disorder itself but also the medications a child takes to control and alleviate the symptoms of their disorder that can make learning a little more of an uphill battle. Some of the commonly prescribed medications may slow down information processing in certain children while others might produce a feeling of fatigue and lethargy that interferes with the daily learning process.

As some children have a tendency to experience night time seizures this affects regular sleeping patterns and can also interfere with a child’s performance in the classroom. Some doctors also believe that during the course of the school day some children with epilepsy suffer from “silent seizures”, brief bursts of abnormal electrical activity in the brain that affects their ability to process and understand the information being imparted to them by the teacher.

This is not to say that children who suffer with epilepsy cannot learn efficiently or are any less intelligent than their peers. Creating a supportive environment both at home and school is a great way to help such children reach their highest possible academic achievement levels. If a parent of such a child discuses their child’s condition and potential difficulties openly and frankly with teachers and guidance counselors they will hopefully find that these people will be willing to work with both parent and child to create an atmosphere more conducive to effective learning – for instance seating the child near the front of the classroom to minimize the number of distractions and disruptions they encounter.

What happens in the home can affect a child with epilepsy’s overall academic performance as well. Experts in the field advocate the creation of an environment that is rich in numbers and languages, with parents and child taking the time to read storybooks together or complete mathematical exercises.