Understanding Students with Traumatic Brain Injury

Defining Traumatic Brain Injury Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an acquired injury caused by external physical force Two types of TBI: – Closed head injury – Open head injury Does not include congenital, infections, degenerative, or birth trauma F2LE&feature=related F2LE&feature=related

Prevalence of TBI Other prevalence data indicate the effects to TBI – 1.1 million Emergency department visits each year – 235,000 hospitalizations – 50,000 deaths – Males are approximately 1.5 times as likely to sustain a TBI as a females – Highest risk groups: birth to four years of age and years of age – 10% are severe, 10% moderate and 80% mild

Characteristics Characteristics will vary according to: – Site and extent of injury – Length of time student was in a coma – Student’s maturational stage at the time of injury Possible changes due to TBI: – Physical – Cognitive – Linguistic – Behavioral, emotional, and social

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Determining the Causes Accidents – Most are motor vehicle – Falls – Assaults Firearm (2/3 are suicide attempts) Child abuse – Shaken-baby syndrome – Sports and recreational injuries

Determining the Presence Evaluation must be comprehensive and ongoing Glasgow Outcomes Scale classifies injuries into broad groups: – Death – Persistent vegetative state – Severe disability – Moderate disability – Good recovery

Determining the Nature of Specially Designed Instruction and Services Students with TBI need frequent evaluation and re-evaluation Classroom observation checklist – Memory – Attention and concentration – Executive functioning – Self-awareness – Language

Partnering for Special Education and Related Services For successful hospital to school transitions: – Involve educators during hospital stay – Keep school personnel updated on student medical progress – Make the time for homebound instruction as short as possible – Frequently monitor the student’s progress after re- entry – Assign someone to be the point person for coordinating the transition

Determining Supplementary Aids and Services Teaching memory aids, including: – Following a routine schedule – Keeping appointments that are not routine – Taking medication – Remember to perform a new task – Marking when to start or end a task Using technology; visual assistants; PDA’s; pagers/digital beepers, electronic watchers; There is an App for that!

Planning for UDL Instructional Pacing – Appropriate instructional pacing – Frequent student responses – Adequate processing time – Monitoring responses – Frequent feedback