| Return to school: |
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Though not always visible and sometimes seemingly minor, brain injury is
complex.
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It can cause physical, cognitive, social, and vocational changes that affect
an individual for a short period of time or permanently.
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Depending on the extent and location of the injury, symptoms caused by
a brain injury vary widely.
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| Types of impairments: |
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Some common brain injury impairments include:
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Seizures
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Loss of balance or coordination
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Difficulty with speech
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Limited concentration
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Memory loss
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Loss of organizational and reasoning skills.
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Attention deficits
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Learning disabilities - especially in learning new things
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Impulse Control
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Executive disorders - doing things, follow through
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Cognition difficulties - understanding things
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Inappropriate responses and/or out bursts.
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| Some considerations: |
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A traditional intelligence test is not an accurate assessment of cognitive
recovery after a brain injury and bears little relationship to the mental
processes required for everyday functioning.
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For example, students with brain injuries might perform well on brief,
structured, artificial tasks but have such significant deficits in learning,
memory, and executive functions that they are unable to otherwise cope.
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| Recovery from a brain injury |
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Recovery from a brain injury can be inconsistent.
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A student might take one step forward, two back, do nothing for a while,
and then unexpectedly make a series of gains.
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A "plateau" is not evidence that functional improvement has ended.
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| Accommodations for students
with brain injuries: |
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Common accommodations for students with brain injuries include:
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Frequent rest breaks
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Regular snacks
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Exam modifications
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Time extensions
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Taped lectures
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Tutors
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Readers
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Note-takers
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Open-book tests
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Instructions presented in more than one way
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Alternative ways of completing assignments
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Early syllabus
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Course substitutions
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Priority registration
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Study skills, Time Management and Strategies training
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Alternative print formats
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| Instructional Strategies: |
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Changes in memory and organizational skills after a brain injury make it
difficult for students to function in the complex environment of school.
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Frequent changes in teachers, classes, schedules and activities create
new challenges for the student.
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Special accommodations such as readers, tutors, note takers, extra time
on test, and open book tests ease the transition.
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Think of a tape recorder as an assistive device - record lectures, some
schools provide this service.
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Brain injuries often require instructional strategies similar to those
listed for other disability conditions.
The use of such strategies will depend on how the disability is manifested.
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For more information and resources see our: http://www.headinjury.com/school.htm
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9/11/01