Traumatic Brain Injury

What is it?

Under federal law, a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is considered to be an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force. This can be either an open or closed head injury that results in partial or total disability, psychosocial impairment or both that negatively impacts a student's educational performance. TBI does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative. TBI is considered to be a head injury that will result in an impairment in one or more of the following:

cognition
language
memory
attention
reasoning
abstract thinking
speech

judgment
problem-solving
sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities
psychosocial behavior
physical functions
information processing

Students that sustain a TBI may experience problems in any of the following:

1. Medical/Neurological symptoms

2. Cognitive symptoms

3. Behavioral/Emotional Symptoms

4. Social Skills development

Any of the above problems can range in severity but recovery can be challenging and hard to predict for any student.

What does this look like in the classroom?

Students with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) may be classified incorrectly as having a learning disability or emotional disturbance. Once classified correctly, there are many different accommodations and strategies that can be used to best support students with a TBI. Teachers should find out as much as they can about the brain injury as well as determine if the student can follow more than one step directions at a time. Teachers should model and give examples when asking a student to complete a new task or series of steps regardless of the number of steps that are required. Students should receive extended time on assignments and tests and be an environment that limits distractions. Routines are also necessary so that the student knows what to expect and what is expected of them. Students may need occasional breaks as they may become tired or fatigued more quickly.

Assistive technologies can also be beneficial to students who have sustained a TBI. To keep organized a student may need a planner, calendar board, medication reminders or a smartphone. Speech software or talk to text software may also be needed to support a student that has a TBI. Lastly, there are assistive technologies that can be used to help with mobility. This can include canes, walkers, wheelchairs, specialized chairs, etc.

With Traumatic Brain Injuries, there is an extreme variation from student to student. As with any disability, the individual should receive individualized accommodations that will best fit their needs to support their success.