Epilepsy affects about 470,000 children and teens in the U.S., and many of them struggle with executive functioning (EF)—the mental skills needed for planning, organizing, and managing tasks. These EF difficulties can lead to problems in school, behavior, and overall quality of life. A new program called Epilepsy Journey (EJ) was developed to help, combining online learning modules with telehealth therapy sessions. A small initial study showed promising results, including better EF skills and improved well-being.

Now, building upon those promising results, the CTSDMC is working with Dr. Avani Modi from the Cincinnati Children's Hospital on a larger clinical trial to test how effective each part of the program is—on its own and together—compared to usual care. The goal is to create a proven, flexible tool that can improve long-term outcomes for teens with epilepsy.