Autism Spectrum Disorder: A neurological condition characterized by challenges in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors.

Autonomic Dysfunction: When the autonomic nervous system, which controls bodily functions like heart rate and digestion, doesn’t work correctly.

Behavioral Dysregulation: Difficulty in managing emotional and behavioral responses to situations.

CBD: A chemical compound from the cannabis plant, used for medical purposes without causing a high.

Cognition: Mental processes involved in gaining knowledge and understanding, including thinking, remembering, and problem-solving.

Comorbidity: The presence of two or more medical conditions in a person at the same time.

Consensus: General agreement among a group of people or experts.

Contraindicated: Advised against; a situation where a particular treatment or procedure should not be used because it may be harmful.

Developmental Delay (DD): Slower than normal development in children in skills like walking or talking.

Emotional Dysregulation: Difficulty in controlling or managing emotional responses.

Epilepsy: A neurological disorder marked by recurrent, unprovoked seizures.

Feeding Issues: Problems with eating, which can include difficulty swallowing, eating too little, or refusing foods.

Fine Motor: The use and coordination of small muscles, typically in the hands and fingers, for tasks like writing, buttoning, or picking up small objects.

Gain of Function (GOF): A change in a gene that causes it to become more active or gain a new function.

Gastrointestinal Issues (GI): Problems related to the digestive system, including the stomach and intestines.

Generalized Epilepsy (GE): A type of epilepsy where seizures begin across both sides of the brain.

Gross Motor Skills: Abilities that involve the large muscles of the body, used for activities like walking and jumping.

Hypotonia: Reduced muscle tone, resulting in floppy or weak muscles.

Intellectual Delay (ID): Slower or less complete development of the mind, affecting abilities like learning, reasoning, and problem-solving.

Ketogenic (Keto) Diet: A diet high in fats and low in carbohydrates, often used to help control seizures in epilepsy.

Loss of Function (LOF): A change in a gene that causes it to become less active or lose its normal function.

Movement Disorders: Conditions that cause abnormal voluntary or involuntary movements or reduced movement.

Neuro-developmental Disorder (NDD): A disorder that affects the development of the brain and nervous system, leading to challenges in personal, social, academic, or occupational functioning.

Optimal Treatment: The best possible treatment, taking into account effectiveness, safety, and individual patient needs.

Orthopedic Issues: Problems related to the bones, joints, and muscles.

Phenotype: The observable physical and behavioral traits of a person, determined by both genetic makeup and environmental influences.

Polypharmacy: The use of multiple medications by a patient, often more than medically necessary.

Prognosis: The expected course and outcome of a disease, based on average outcomes.

Pulmonary Issues: Problems related to the lungs and respiratory system.

Resective Surgery: A type of surgery where part of the body, often part of the brain, is removed to treat a condition.

SCN8A: A gene that is important for the function of nerve cells in the brain and can be linked to certain medical conditions when it has a mutation.

Seizure Types: Different kinds of seizures, each with specific characteristics. They include:

• Absence: Brief, sudden lapses in attention.
• Focal: Seizures starting in one area of the brain.
• Generalized: Seizures affecting both sides of the brain.
• Tonic: Seizures causing muscle stiffness.
• Tonic-Clonic: Seizures involving muscle stiffness and jerking.
• Infantile Spasms: Seizures seen in babies, involving sudden, jerking movements.

Seizure Freedom: A state where a person experiences no seizures for a certain period, often due to successful treatment.

SeL(F)IE: Self Limited (Familial) Infantile Epilepsy – an epilepsy phenotype, which may or may not be inherited, that may be severe in infancy but largely resolves.

Sleep Disturbances: Problems related to sleeping, like trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or abnormal behaviors during sleep.

Sodium Channel: A protein in nerve cells that helps control the flow of sodium ions, important for sending signals in the brain.

SUDEP Risk: The risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy, where a person with epilepsy dies suddenly and unexpectedly.

VNS: Vagus Nerve Stimulation, a treatment involving a device that sends electrical impulses to the brain via the vagus nerve to control seizures.