Please verify your email address to receive email notifications.

Enter your email address

We have sent you a verification email. Please check your inbox and spam folder.

Unable to send verification, please refresh and try again later.

  • Sponsored Q&A

    I care for a teenager with an intellectual disability and epilepsy. How can I tell the difference between behaviour and seizures?

    Related Topic
    Epilepsy & Seizures
    • 1 answer
    • Epilepsy Action Australia

  • Find a professional to answer your question

  • Epilepsy Action Australia

    Sponsor

    Established in 1952, Epilepsy Action Australia provides education and support for people with epilepsy, their families and community, and professional groups. These services promote self-management … View Profile

    It can be difficult but there are some characteristics which are mostly seen in one or the other. It will help to:

    • Get a good description of the event and/or a video of it to show the neurologist. This is always one of the most helpful things you can do from a diagnostic point of view.

    • Check if you can stop or start the event – if you can, then it is more likely to be behavioural.

    • Consider patterns when the event starts, for example does it happen at the same time of day (seizures) or involve the presence of certain people or situations (behaviour)? • Ask yourself if there was a change in awareness and responsiveness? These changes happen during seizure activity.

    • Think about whether the events are the same or different each time. Seizures are usually very similar whereas behaviour can vary greatly.

    • Time it as most seizures last less than three minutes but behaviour can last a lot longer.

    • Notice how is the person afterwards? After seizures, there is often a period of confusion and tiredness.

    If unsure, you have to assume it is seizure activity and follow their seizure management plan and provide seizure first aid as required.

You may also like these related questions

Community Sponsor(s)
Related Fact Sheets
Related Questions

Empowering Australians to make better health choices