How to Make a Seizure Chart
When a parent is concerned that their child may be having seizures, creating a seizure chart can help the doctor diagnose a seizure disorder more accurately. Seizure charts are also useful for parents of children who have already been diagnosed with a seizure disorder. By keeping track of the child’s seizures, her neurologist will be able to better manage her medication as well as help to reduce or stop future seizures. Creating a seizure chart is easy and its benefits are immeasurable.
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Instructions
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Open the spreadsheet program on your computer to create a seizure chart. You will be creating several columns of information. The first row will be used to list the type of information that will be included in that column.
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Enter the word “Date” in the first column/first row position. As your child has a seizure, or other questionable episode, enter the date of the event. Continue on to populate the first row with the remaining information included here.
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Enter “Seizure Type” into the second column (again first row). This is where you will list the type of seizure that the child had. Some children only have one type of seizure but it is not uncommon for a child to have absence and drop seizures (for example). By keeping a log of the different types of seizure your child experiences, you and your doctor may be able to see a pattern emerge.
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Type the word “Notes” into the third column. If there was anything unusual about this seizure episode, enter it here. This is a good place to list what happens just before the seizure or anything else about the episode that stands out.
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Create a column titled “Post-Ictal” so that you can enter information about how your child was during the post-ictal (post-seizure) state.
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Enter the word “Intervention” as the header for the fifth column. If your child was given an emergency seizure medication or you took any specific intervention steps, you should list those here.
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Save this seizure chart and then print out a copy. As your child has a seizure, fill out the seizure chart. If you would prefer to input this directly into the chart on the computer instead of printing it out, that also works well.
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Take a copy of your child’s seizure chart with you to any doctor’s appointments.
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- Photo Credit Melissa Hincha-Ownby
