Safe Activities for Children with Epilepsy: A Guide

Depending upon the severity of their disorder, epileptic children can often participate in the same kinds of activities that non-epileptic children can, so long as the proper safety measures are followed.

What Activities Can Epileptic Children Participate In?

• Epileptic children can participate in many of the same fun activities as other kids. Bike riding, when done in a safe environment (like a park as opposed to a roadside), is allowable; helmets, however, are crucial to protect the child in case of a head strike. Swimming is also fine, provided there is adequate supervision at all times.

What Activities Should Epileptic Children NOT Participate In?

• Types of activities to avoid are unsupervised stair climbing and any type of boxing. Teenagers with epilepsy should definitely avoid alcohol consumption.

Considerations

• Since school-age epileptic children often feel excluded from interaction with other kids, their physical activity levels are frequently lower. This is why many epileptic children, particularly teenagers, often struggle with obesity.

Common Misconceptions

• The common belief that sports and other physical activities are off limits to epileptic children is patently untrue. Baseball, basketball, and hockey are absolutely within reach, provided the appropriate protective head gear is always worn.

Expert Insight

• Fear of seizures can have a severely negative impact on a child, according to the Mayo Clinic. Therefore, it is crucial that family members and teachers of epileptic children treat the child as normally as possible.