Traumatic Brain Injury- TBI
John Gipe- Towson University
What is TBI?
Some Causes Include:
- Motor Vehicle Accidents
- Falls
- Recreation (sports)
- Violence
- Shaken Baby Syndrome
Living With TBI
Major Characteristics of TBI
- Headache
- Visual Disturbance
- Memory Loss
- Poor Attention/Concentration
- Sleep Disturbance
- Feelings of Depression
- Seizures
Prevalence
How TBI Can Interfere With Learning:
- Paralysis
- Impaired Motor Skills
- Poor Body Coordination
- Motor Speech
Behavioral- relating to behavior
- Inability to engage in purposive activity
- Social Skills
- Impulsivity
- Lack of insight into behavior and its consequences
Cognitive- relating to knowledge
- Impaired attention and concentration
- Impaired problem-solving and decision-making skills
- Slowed information processing
- Poor organization, planning, and sequencing abilities
- Impulsive thinking without regard for consequences
Difficulties Related to TBI
- Behavior and social problems in children with TBI are related to poor executive executive functioning.
- They may also have problems with organization-- planning, prioritizing, analyzing tasks, and completing a sequence of activities.
Accommodations in the Classroom
- Use direct statement to tell students to start a behavior rather than to stop the behavior: Allows the student to know what is expected before they do something wrong
- Provide external devices and cues: Allows students to stay organized, for memory, and motor deficits
- Avoid time limits on testing: Can lessen anxiety and stress
Strategies and Modifications in the Classroom and at Home
- Careful thought about order of presentations: routine is key
- Provide small group instruction
- Structure student's activities and schedule: limits number of changes and reduces unstructured time
- Minimize extraneous auditory and visual stimulation: use study carrels or room dividers
For Additional Information
References
Balsiger, L. (n.d.). Traumatic Brain Injury Effects and Impacts. Retrieved April 18, 2015, from
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673600026891
Burkhardt, S., & Rotatori, A. (2011). History of Traumatic Brain Injury. In Advances in Special Education (Vol. 21). Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Faul, M., Coronado, V., Wald, M., & Xu, L. (2010, January 1). Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States. Retrieved April 19, 2015, from http://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/pdf/blue_book.pdf
Learn about TBI, Characteristics of TBI. (2015). Retrieved April 19, 2015, from http://www.ocali.org/project/learn_about_tbi/page/tbi_characteristics
http://www.brainline.org/content/2008/07/classroom-interventions-students-traumatic-brain-injuries_pageall.html