FAQs

Q. Can a teen with epilepsy drive?
A. The hard truth is if a teen is still having seizures, he or she can't drive a car. Each state has its own rules about how long a person with epilepsy must be seizure free before getting a driver’s license. These laws require you to be seizure free for between three months and one year. If a teen is taking medication and hasn’t been having seizures, chances are they can get a driver's license.

Q. Can a teen with epilepsy go to college?
A. Of course. They’ll need good grades and good SAT or ACT scores. But there’s no reason that epilepsy should be a barrier to college. In some cases, medication can affect how quickly a person with epilepsy can complete tests and other projects. Therefore, a student might need to work with the college administration to work out some kind of accommodation, such as a lighter credit load, or possibly using extra time to complete tests and homework assignments.

Q. Can people with epilepsy get jobs?
A. Yes. People with epilepsy are successful doctors, lawyers, actors, bankers and businessmen and women. For someone entering the workforce, the key is to have a well-written resume that describes your marketable skills and details your work experience. Work experience can include part-time jobs, volunteer work or community service. Sometimes, a volunteer job can become a permanent one.

Q. Is it safe for a teen with epilepsy to play sports?
A. Most teens with epilepsy can safely play a wide variety of sports. This depends somewhat on the specific sport, the type of seizures a teen has, and how often they have them. Sports like track, basketball or tennis and other field sports are generally not a problem. Swimming requires consultation with a doctor to make sure a person’s seizures are sufficiently under control to permit it. A teen with epilepsy should always swim with someone else who knows about their epilepsy and is a good enough swimmer to help if a seizure occurs. Wearing protective helmets is important for anyone who is cycling or playing football or baseball.

Q. Can flashing lights or even video games can cause seizures?
A. Some people are photosensitive, which means they may have seizures if a light flashes at a certain rate shines in their eyes, or if they look at flashing images of light and dark. If you’ve had an EEG test, they probably did a photosensitivity test as well, using a light to see if your EEG responds. If you didn’t have a seizure, or there were no telltale signs on your EEG, then flashing lights or flashing video game images may not be a problem for you.

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