New screening tool can improve the quality of life for epilepsy patients with sleep apnea — ScienceDaily

Rutgers researchers have developed a tool to help neurologists screen for obstructive sleep apnea in people with epilepsy whose seizures can be magnified by sleep disorders.

The study appears in the journal Neurology Clinical Practice.

Although detection and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can improve seizure control in some patients with epilepsy, providers have not regularly assessed patients for those risk factors. The researchers developed an electronic health record alert for neurologists to evaluate a patient’s need for a sleep study.

This study can determine the necessity for treatment, which can result in improved seizure control, reduction in antiepileptic medications and reduce the risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.

OSA occurs when breathing is interrupted during sleep. The Epilepsy Foundation estimates that approximately 40 percent of people living with epilepsy have a higher prevalence of OSA that contributes to poor seizure control.

“Sleep disorders are common among people living with epilepsy and are under-diagnosed,” said lead author Martha A. Mulvey, a nurse practitioner at University Hospital’s department of neurosciences. “Sleep and epilepsy have a complex reciprocal relationship. Seizures can often be triggered by low oxygen levels that occur during OSA. Sleep deprivation and the interruption of sleep can therefore increase seizure frequency.”

 

Source: New screening tool can improve the quality of life for epilepsy patients with sleep apnea — ScienceDaily

A DWP minister just dropped some shocking figures then ran off for the weekend | The Canary

A Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) minister chose to release some staggering figures during the afternoon of Friday 20 July; essentially dropping them and running off for the weekend.

The DWP: sneaking things out on a Friday

Minister of state at the DWP Sarah Newton was responding to a written question. It came from Labour’s shadow minister for disabled people Marsha de Cordova. On 9 July, Cordova asked:

how many people with epilepsy who were in receipt of Disability Living Allowance [DLA] did not receive an award as a result of a reassessment for personal independence payments [PIP]…

Newton’s response on Friday 20 July was shocking. She said:

Since the introduction of… (PIP) a total of 6,330 decisions on claims with an epilepsy condition listed as the main health condition have been made as part of migration from… (DLA) to PIP. Of these, 3,380 did not receive any benefit award at the initial assessment and 1,120 of these people subsequently appealed their decision. Of those who appealed their decision 870 cases were settled in favour of the claimant.

Translated?

This means the DWP denied PIP to over 53% of people living with epilepsy who previously had DLA. Moreover, of the 33% of people who appealed after the DWP denied them PIP, a massive 77% of people ended up being given the benefit.

Glossing over

In a seeming attempt to gloss over these figures, Newton claimed:

Under PIP, 29 per cent of working age claimants with epilepsy recorded as their primary disabling condition receive the highest level of support compared to 6 per cent under Disability Living Allowance when PIP was introduced.

 

Source: A DWP minister just dropped some shocking figures then ran off for the weekend | The Canary

Sharp rise in pupil exclusions from English state schools | Education | The Guardian

Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said local authority services, such as behaviour support teams and specialist staff such as speech and language therapists, were disappearing, alongside cuts to funding for pupils with special education needs and disabilities.

‘It was heartbreaking’: Family wins tribunal after special needs pupil excluded

Read more

“Schools can’t do it on their own. To avoid exclusions, they need support from the other local services around them,” Whiteman said.

“Exclusion must not be thought of as getting a child ‘out of the way’ but of finding a better place to serve that child. The issues that underpin exclusions reach far beyond the school gates.”

Pupils with special educational needs accounted for just under half of all exclusions. Pupils with special needs were permanently excluded at a rate six times higher than pupils with no special needs.

Pupils with an education, health and care plan or a statement of special education needs had the highest fixed-period exclusion rate at 16% in 2016-17 – more than five times higher than pupils with no special needs, at 3%.

 

Source: Sharp rise in pupil exclusions from English state schools | Education | The Guardian

DWP reverses sanctions decision for epileptic man

Are these cases where sanctions are made purely a misunderstanding or is it a deliberate action to force disabled people, the poor, the vulnerable, etc into poverty so that they cannot survive and will eventually be no longer here.

Hence reducing costs by the ultimate removal of persons who claim benefits. In which case the term ‘callous and cold-hearted’ is well suited.

Yes, a drastic ‘DWP culture change’ needs to occur and then one can judge if there are misunderstandings or not.

Atos nurse continues PIP assessment while claimant has ‘grand mal’ epilepsy seizures

The way the ATOS Nurse assessor conducted the supposed interview/assessment is disgusting, abusive and totally unrespectful.

It is because of instances like this that all the assessments should not only be verbally recorded, but visual as well. There would then be verifiable proof that the assessment was not conducted correctly.

This nurse assessor and others like her should, immediately, not be allowed to undertake any more assessments and be reported to her and their professional bodies for Gross Misconduct.

She should also never be allowed to have any employment within a medical establishment ever again.

Day In the Life of a Special Needs Homeschooling Family!

*This post was originally published on 1/26/15

Ever wonder what a typical day is like for us, a not so typical special needs homeschooling family?

If so please read on and watch our video!

If the thought has never crossed your mind, well then I invite you to continue reading anyway!

 

Source: Day In the Life of a Special Needs Homeschooling Family!

DWP Starts Search For PIP Claimants Entitled To More

This is good news for once and I would suggest that you be proactive and do not reply on the DWP to contact you.

We are all aware, especially taking into all the publicity given with regards to benefit assessments that you have to look after number one. If you feel there is the slightest possibility that you could be eligible for a benefit increase contact you local government DWP office. Alternatively, access a support group in your area. If you are unsure where these are this information could be available from your local authority, GP Surgery, other health areas and many others. If you have internet access then conduct an internet search, as it could well be in your interests to do so.

Epilepsy: why do seizures sometimes continue after surgery? — ScienceDaily

The potential reasons why many patients with severe epilepsy still continue to experience seizures even after surgery have been outlined in a new report. Epilepsy continues to be a serious health problem and is the most common serious neurological disorder. Medically intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) remains the most frequent neurosurgically treated epilepsy disorder.

Source: Epilepsy: why do seizures sometimes continue after surgery? — ScienceDaily

New technique could revolutionize surgical treatment of epilepsy — ScienceDaily

 

Source: New technique could revolutionize surgical treatment of epilepsy — ScienceDaily

Links between autism and epilepsy deepen – Medical News Today

New research shows that having a first-degree relative with epilepsy significantly increases the risk of being diagnosed with autism.

Source: Links between autism and epilepsy deepen – Medical News Today