Jerry--
Thank you for a thoughtful and informative reply to my questions about vagus stimulation to
control epileptic seizures. You remarked that surgery is the 2nd choice (after medication),
apparently before the electronic stimulation is considered. Is that because it is new, or
because there are still some siezures?
This student is definitely suffering some profound effects from his seizures. I find there
are two basic modes to his learning: short term, and long term. Not surprisingly, as his
seizure activity has increased, his long term retention has decreased. Now his short term
performance is starting to suffer. I know these are physiological effects, but I want to give
him all the help I can. Can you make any suggestions for teaching him?
I tutor a few students referred by the Diagnostic Teaching Clinic at NCSU. Most of them have
some sort of learning disability. I sometimes use some unusual techniques, such as teaching a
student to juggle to help him get the feeling of getting the "big picture" without being
swamped by the details. The motor modeling of cognitive precesses seems to help some
students. Can you think of any motor techniques I can use with my epileptic student? I have
used some drawing techniques, but the student is resistive to "innovative" methods.
Thanks again,
--Tom
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Thomas D. Wason, Ph.D. 1421 Park Drive
Human-Computer Interactions Raleigh, North Carolina 27605 USA
wason at nando.net 919.834.9842
