ABSTRACT
Many parents have difficulty allowing the teenager with epilepsy to have the amount of freedom and responsibility that is necessary for the development of self-sufficiency. The physician may contribute to this problem by failing to respect the increasing autonomy that exists in the second decade of life. As patients enter their teenage years,
decision-making needs to move away from the parents to the child. The precise age at which this occurs will depend on the cognitive and emotional maturity of the individual. However, failure of the physician to recognize the increasing independence of teenagers can contribute to the social difficulties and lack of control experienced subsequently by many adults with epilepsy. At medical appointments, younger teenagers with epilepsy should be seen both alone and in the presence of a parent. The eventual aim is for the older teenager to be able to visit the physician alone, an arrangement that should be encouraged whenever possible.
