Absence status epilepticus occurs in Angelman kids who may be in and out of seizures for hours to months. If there are multiple jerks, they are often random and arrhythmic. The jerks may be subtle, or involve massive contraction of all the muscles of the body. They may be followed briefly by stiffness and momentary confusion. These stronger spells are myoclonic seizures.
Some children have such frequent seizures that they are in myoclonic status epilepticus .
In these spells, the children may have a slight droop of the head, or fall to the floor or against the table with no ability to protect themselves. These kids often need to wear a helmet to protect the face and head. Ataxia comprises the unsteadiness and inaccurate movements of Angelman kids, and is not epileptic. Similarly, the unprovoked laughter in some Angelman kids is not epileptic. After the spell, the child is often floppy and sleepy, but may be confused and combative.