Starting to stare into space

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My sister and I had epilepsy when we were younger. I had petit mal epilepsy (lost time/staring into space). My sister had a more severe form that left her unconscious a couple of times. I have since outgrown it.

Knowing that about 90% of epilepsy is genetic, I'm rather concerned to see my 20 month-old daughter starting to stare off a little. It started this week and lasts for only a couple of seconds. There are times she does not respond to her name if I say it in a regular tone. Usually, she will respond in some way or look toward me. So far, I've been waiting until it passes and everything is like it never happened.

I know there are moments where I tend to fade out the rest of the world to think about something. Hopefully, I'm thinking that is all she is doing.

She has been evaluated as being very "sensitive" when it comes to sensory experiences, is clingy, shy and is starting to be a little dictator when it comes to routines. I'm not afraid of where this might be going but would rather know ahead of time if "typical" kids do this, too. Her 4 year-old brother is HFA and I am an undiagnosed Aspie. (Normal I know not. )

Any thoughts or personal experience with toddlers who do this?

I stare into space a lot myself. Always have. I never associated it with epilepsy... hmmm...

MomofTom,

See this thread for me telling Schleppenheimer about Space Puppy (as my husband calls it). I do it all the time and he used to wonder at first if I had a seizure. thread on space puppy

Z sometimes stares into space, we call it Zoning out. He has had three EEGs checking for epilepsy, noyhing so far but indications of a predisposition. We have been told this is typical behavior for ADHD and AS, Zhas been dxd with both. At your child's young age a pedriatric neurologist is probably your best bet.