My daughter was diagnosed with epilepsy two months ago. To date, they have not found a dose of medication that is effective in completely stopping her seizures. She has good days where she's verbal, engaged in therapy, using words frequently and mimicking sounds, etc. then we have days like yesterday where the seizures seem nonstop and she sits under the kitchen table with her thumb in her mouth completely unengaged and doesn't make a sound.
Part of me says some therapy even if its a bad session is better than nothing at all. We are getting some good sessions in-I'd say its 50/50. Part of me wants to give her a break from all of this as she is still adapting to medication especially since they had to raise it twice in the past two weeks. Maybe a break would help recharge her, but what if it takes another 6-12 months before the medicine really works or its difficult to get her back in the routine?
Wwyd?
Re: Taking a therapy break?
If it were me, I would decrease therapy to something manageable and then go from there. I wouldn't stop them completely.
it wasn't something I discussed with her neuro yet. It was more of a passing thought and wanted to see if anyone had done something similar.
The only time DS2 gets breaks from therapy is due to illness, vacations, doctor appointments, or the actual therapists being out. He misses hippotherapy the most mainly due to illness, weather (I have to drive an hour to/from), or doctor appointments. He just had a 2wk break from all therapies due to vacation and I could tell especially with PT related things. Hippotherapy today said that he didn't lose as much this time as he has with previous small breaks (it usually takes a week or two to catch him back up).
Overall my feeling is at some point, DS2 will be able to choose to actively not participate in therapy so while he is still young I want breaks to be as few and far between so he gets the best chance at gaining skills especially while therapy is still incorporated into play vs it being "work".
thanks for the insight as both a parent of an epileptic child and therapist. We are taking a vacation for a week and a half which will make her miss two weeks of therapy. I'm hoping a little break will help and will consider extending it depending on how she is (after consulting with her neuro/treatment team, of course).
oh, I don't plan on withdrawing completely. I'm thinking maybe four weeks or so. Nothing long term.