Personal Quest: A workbook and software program to help people with epilepsy plan and manage their future

While any person can become discouraged about career goals and life purpose, a person with epilepsy is particularly vulnerable, in spite of the improvements in the medicine and social attitudes. And the most significant difficulty appears to be problems associated with memory loss. Many people with epilepsy report having no friends, citing an inability to remember names, dates, likes and dislikes. Memory problems affect their performance on the job and their ability to successfully plan any aspect of their lives. Most significantly, people with a memory problem often simply don't remember that they have such a problem, meaning that they often aren't interested in tools designed to overcome memory problems.;The purpose of this dissertation, based on the study of a pilot test on a group of individuals with epilepsy, was to create a workbook and software tool that would assist the career-aged person who has epilepsy. The desired outcomes were threefold. First, that this workbook/software tool would reduce the chances of being unemployed or underemployed for adults with epilepsy. Second, that it assist the person with epilepsy with their memory problems and positively impact not only their professional life but their personal life as well. Third, that the workbook and software tool stimulate further interest in developing other tools to assist people with epilepsy in their battles with underemployment as well as with memory problems since few tools, if any, currently exist.;Based on the subjects' evaluation of the Personal Quest Workbook and Software Tool, plus my own experience as a person with epilepsy using the tool, the study indicated that Personal Quest could assist career-aged people with epilepsy enhance their memory and further their careers.;It was noted that once a workbook is completed it usually sits on the shelf, never looked at again. So this study concluded that the software program will prove the most useful in helping people with epilepsy plan their futures.;Sadly, software programs haven't existed to help people with epilepsy. Today, most of the research conducted to improve the life of people with epilepsy seeks chemical solutions. The greatest ramification of this study was that tools are needed and useful to help the person with epilepsy beside the chemical solution.;The delightful conclusion of this prototype study is that the tool can be adapted to all people with developmental disabilities not just people with epilepsy. Due to the overall success of the tool, the tool has been modified and is currently used to successfully help people with severe and profound mental retardation plan and manage their future.