ABSTRACT
Epilepsy has wide-ranging effects, both on the lives of people with learning disabilities and on their carers. The particularly high prevalence of epilepsy in this population stresses the importance of the condition. As in the general population, the impact of epilepsy, and thus the aims of treatment, goes beyond the immediate effect of seizures. In fact, epilepsy influences many of the areas of functioning regarded as central to the quality of life of people with learning disabilities (Blunden, 1988), namely, physical health through seizures, premature death, accidents and unwanted effects of treatment; material well being through reduced employment opportunities and choice; social well-being through reduced community integration and resettlement from hospital (Bond et al. ,1991); and emotional well being through social stigma, behavioural effects of medication and the complex association of epilepsy with behavioural disorder.
