A study in the July issue of Neurology revealed that pregnant women taking the drug Toprimate (sold as Topromax) are at higher risk of having a baby with birth defects, especially when taking Sodium Valporate (sold as Epilim, Epilim Chrono and Convulex).

Being the cynic I am, if a person said to me that my child had won a trip to Disneyland, my immediate response would 'Oh yeah?' followed by a very long hard look for the scam. But actually I must admit this is a genuine opportunity.

Frankly, I haven't been on a horse since the Lowland Games Donkey derby but that's between me and my therapist! However it seems that Equine therapy may hold some real benefits for children suffering from epilepsy and autism. The National Ability Centre in Park City is just one of the many places which offer this opportunity.

The amount of children diagnosed with ASD rises yearly and despite the debilitating symptoms and it's link to multiple conditions such as epilepsy, Tourette's and mood disorders; there is still no clear understanding of the causes. Similarly there are no widely accepted medical treatments available.

The release of the movie ‘First do no harm’ starring Meryl Streep prompted resurgence in the Ketogenic diet. The film it’s self tells the story of Lori Reimuller and her son Robbie.

After his diagnosis she trusts conventional medicine to treat Robbie but the alarming rate at which his health is worsening prompts her to seek alternatives. This leads her to the ketogenic diet but Robbie’s doctor threatens to use the full weight of the law to prevent her removing him from the clutches of the hospital.

What is the ketogenic diet?

Anyone passing through Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton in June may well have been lucky enough to come across camp Roehr.To look at the camp you wouldn’t have noticed anything out of the ordinary, kids playing and doing art. Counsellors giving confidence boosting speeches and organising games.

For those of you who haven’t read Arlene Martell's book “Getting Adam Back… A mother’s triumph over Epilepsy and Autism,” please take the time to do it. You will find it time well spent!

I’d really recommend saving this for those days we all need a bit of hope because Kevin Tsuchinda is boy that makes you feel very hopeful.

At 10 he’s already shining at Wilson Elementary School with his eight-grader vocabulary and amazingly wide interests {I’m sure there are that many 10 year olds studying geology and entomology!}

In April Kevin made his second trip to Washington on behalf of the Epilepsy Foundation’s ‘Kids Speak Up!’ campaign.