Epilepsy and Autism Spectrum Disorder
Creed Bradford was 3 years old in 2022 when he had an experience his mom, Ashley, describes as terrifying. “He just kept getting more pale, almost became white and was shaking,” she said. Creed was unresponsive, and Ashley couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him. So she rushed him to the Dekalb Regional Medical Center Emergency Room in Fort Payne, where doctors said he was having a seizure, but they were unable to identify the cause. They advised Ashley to take Creed to Children’s of Alabama for further tests and treatment.
At Children’s, neurologist Dr. Tony McGrath of ordered a variety of tests, including genetic testing, to determine the possible cause of Creed’s seizures. McGrath ultimately diagnosed him with epilepsy.
Epilepsy causes electrical signals in the brain to misfire, which can lead to multiple seizures disrupting the brain’s regular electrical activity and causing a temporary communication problem among nerve cells.
Prior to his seizure, Creed had already been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This dual diagnosis is not unusual; according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, about 20-30% of children with ASD develop epilepsy by adulthood. It can create an array of challenges for the child and their family.
“Life with Creed has definitely been a struggle,” Ashley said. “But he has taught me more in the five years he has been here than I have learned in my entire lifetime.”
Each condition presents its own set of challenges. Because of ASD, Creed didn’t speak until he was about 4 years old, communicating prior to that only through “grunts and babbling,” Ashley said.
“We have learned to never take anything for granted and to celebrate every milestone no matter how small,” she added. “The first time he told me he loved me will always be a core memory, and his voice is something that we never overlook.”
With epilepsy, Creed’s seizures can present in a variety of ways. He may turn pale, become lethargic, shake briefly or stare into space. Ashley says it’s been difficult to determine what triggers the seizures, and his communication issues play a role in that. “The scariest thing about his seizures is also his voice because he can’t tell me when he’s not feeling well or what’s going on or how his body is feeling,” she said. “I have to just do the best I can to figure out what he needs.”
Ashley says Creed’s daily medication has greatly lessened the occurrence of his seizures. He also has an emergency medication for seizures that last more than two minutes. For ASD, Creed attends speech, occupational and physical therapies.
Creed’s parents are grateful to the doctors and staff at Children’s for helping them navigate his diagnosis. “Children’s has been amazing,” Ashley said. “They have tried to make anything I asked for happen. They have been so good to us.”
