You Are Not Alone Parent Toolkit

A support program for parents of teens who have epilepsy

Support programs can help

Parents know that growing up is tough for any teen. But a teen with epilepsy may have more anxiety and confusion. When other people like teachers and other teens don’t understand epilepsy, they might treat that person differently. This can make the teen feel like they are alone.

Parents play an important role in preventing this. When children with epilepsy become teenagers, parents can teach them to take care of themselves. The materials in these program guides support this effort.

These guides have materials to help parents learn ways to:

• Learn from other parents and families.
• Talk with other parents.
• Discuss issues like:
  • Dating.
  • Driving.
  • Drugs and alcohol.
  • Medication.
  • Family stress.
  • School issues.
  • Communication.
  • Stigma.

Participate on your own or lead a group

The guides on the next pages explain each of the parts of this toolkit and provide suggestions for using them. One guide is for parents and the other is for leaders of parent groups, also called facilitators. Each part can stand alone, but the program works best when using the parts together.