Counseling Case Study: Ronnie's Epilepsy

Counseling Case Study: Ronnie's Epilepsy As Ronnie's primary rehabilitation counselor, there are several areas that you would want to address with his employer. The most important thing is to ensure that the employer and Ronnie's co-workers understand not only his condition but what kinds of problems Ronnie may experience, how to recognize them, and what the best course of action is. As for epilepsy, it affects different people in different ways.

Not everyone who has it experiences the grand mal seizures that are so popular in the movies where a person convulses on the floor and sometimes tries to 'swallow' their tongue. Others who have epilepsy can go into a largely catatonic state during their seizures or, like Ronnie, become mostly dazed and confused for a few moments, feeling fine afterward. The fact that Ronnie's seizures are not that obvious to others around him is both good and bad.

People might not ridicule him or be uncomfortable around him, but they also might not notice when he needs help. He doesn't appear to feel the seizures' onset like some epileptics do, so there is little that can be done to remove him from a situation before the seizure actually strikes. Since he responds to gentle coaxing during his seizures, that is the best way to react if another employee notices a problem.

It is imperative that Ronnie continue to take his medication properly and see his physician as often as he is supposed to. If he does not do this his seizures could become worse and it could be very harmful to his health.

While Ronnie will probably do his best to make his appointments on days he does not work and take his medications on his breaks and at lunch, there will likely be times when he will need to take a break at an odd time or at least take the time to go to the break room long enough to take his medication. These should certainly be allowed and not be viewed as slacking off on his job. The same is true with his physician visits.

If he must go to the doctor on a work day because that was the only day he could schedule for, arrangements for this should be made. As for accommodations when it comes to Ronnie's occupation, it seems as though the employer is already doing well with these.

By having Ronnie work a job where he is in charge of some things that he enjoys doing but does not have a lot of contact with customers, there is less of a worry about his having a seizure while on the job, which could confuse or upset customers, or otherwise make them uncomfortable.

The other employees that Ronnie works with in his department should be made aware of Ronnie's condition and what to do if he has a seizure so that it causes as little of a disruption as possible and so that Ronnie is safe and cared for. Since he becomes dazed and confused during seizures he could even wander off into the parking lot or do something that might be unsafe.

He does not need to be watched all the time, but he should not work completely alone in the department for a long period of time, either. In addition, other employees who are compassionate and understanding and helpful are important for Ronnie's well-being. His social skills are underdeveloped, and he needs help with them.