CHILDREN WITH EPILEPSY. A STUDY OF THEIR NEEDS IN CALIFORNIA.

The 1959 California Legislature directed the State Department of Public Health to conduct a study of the needs of California children with epilepsy and to determine the costs and feasibility of including medical services to such children under the Crippled Children Services program. A demonstration program of services was provided in Contra Costa and San Bernardino counties. Under these programs, children suspected of having epilepsy were referred for specialists' examinations, tests and recommendations for treatment. Private physicians provided the largest portion of a total of 236 referrals. Children referred were found to have complex medical, social and educational problems, and to be in need of comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services. About half of the children had mixed epilepsy and over one-third had focal seizures. Two-thirds had at least one other major additional handicap. At the time of referral one-fifth of these children had one or more seizures daily.Through specialized care and medications provided under this project, 58 per cent of those with seizures became seizure free, and an additional 24 per cent showed a considerable reduction of seizure frequency. This project provided a practical method of obtaining information necessary for program planning and has also demonstrated the value of such a program in helping private physicians to meet some of the multiple problems presented by these children.