TBI.
(Chapter 13 to you bums)
By The Amazing Jennifer Maki and the Outstanding
Samantha Loeks!!!
What is TBI?!
 TBI stands for traumatic brain injury
 Specifically…
1. Injury to brain by External force
2. Not caused by degenerative or congenital
3.
4.
condition
Diminished or altered state of
consciousness
Neurological or neurobehavioral
dysfunction result from injury
(followed by impairments in school
learning and everyday functioning)
More stuff…
Occurs after a period of normal
neurological development
 One of the most common injuries in
soldiers of the Iraq/Afghanistan wars 
 Typically influences several academic areas
simultaneously

If you want to get technical…

IDEA says…
“ an acquired injury to the brain caused by an
external physical force, resulting in total or partial
functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or
both, that adversely affects a child’s educational
performance. The term applies to open or closed
head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more
areas, such as cognition; language; memory; attention;
reasoning; abstract thinking; judgment; problem
solving; sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities;
psychosocial behavior; physical functions; information
processing; and speech. The term does not apply to
injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or brain
injuries induced by birth trauma.”
TBI Student Schedule
Date: 3/27/01 Morning Schedule
 Time: Event: To do:
 7:30-8:00: Prepare for school (shower,
 get dressed, eat breakfast)
 8:15: Catch bus to school Don’t forget to take lunch
 and backpack!
 8:45: First period: English class— Need to turn in
homework
 Room 201 Mrs. Wilson assignment. Exercises on
 pages 317-320.
 10:00: Second period: Phys Ed.— Need to bring
tennis shoes
 gymnasium Mr. Hall and extra socks
 11:15: Third period: Math—Room 315 Need to turn
in homework
 Mrs. Taylor assignment on page 150.
 Ask for help with problem 21.
 12:30 Lunch
What causes TBI?!
2 types of head injury
1. Open- penetrating head wounds from
something like a gunshot or car accident
2. Closed- internal compression, etc.

What is TBI not?

Degenerative or congenital conditions
◦ Degenerative: long term, slow deterioration of
cells, organs, muscles, etc…
◦ Congenital: condition occurring before birth

Injuries induced during birth
What does this look like?!
Diminished or altered state of
consciousness
 Neurological or Neurobehavioral
problems

◦ Can be total or partial disability or
psychosocial impairment
More specifically, TBI effects areas
of…
Cognition, language, memory, attention,
reasoning
 Abstract thinking, judgment, problem
solving
 Sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities
 Information processing, speech, and
physical functions

Complications…

Problems with:
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◦
◦
◦
◦
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Remembering things
Learning new information
Sequencing and processing information
Manners and social behaviors (humor)
Mood swings
Depression
Progressing at a consistent rate
How often do we see TBI?!






Well… we aren’t so sure
“Hidden disability” or “Silent epidemic”
Every year about .5% school age children
acquire a TBI, by graduation 4% of students
may have one.
15,000-20,000 of those who receive these
injuries will have lasting effects
Males more prone than females.. Stop
showing off!
Frequently preventable
What can we do to help these
people?!



Family, peers, and educators need to be
prepared to deal with the sometimes
dramatic behavioral changes. Kids sometimes
don’t realize their behavior has changed.
Team approach between parents, special
educators, guidance counselor, regular
teacher, etc.
Help students solve problems in focusing
and sustaining attention, remembering
previous info, dealing with fatigue, engaging in
appropriate social behavior.
Hmmm….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2wlc
Vm5mZM
IEP…?
To decide whether a student needs
Special Education, the school talks to the
parents, examines medical records,
conducts a psychological assessment, and
much more
 It is important that records be kept both
pre- and post injury performance
 Changes must last more than 60 days

More IEP things
An IEP for a student with TBI usually
needs to involve cognitive, social/behavior,
and sensorimotor domains.
 Example…
http://www.tbied.org/tbi-support/iepmain/sample-iep-goals/
 Students with TBI on IEP need to be
continually reassessed
 If they do not qualify for an IEP, a 504 plan
may be instituted

Learning Strategies……

Collaboration key!
◦ Work with teachers, aides, parents, student,
doctors
◦ Diverse challenges and ranges of disabilities
◦ More people, more problem solving ideas
◦ Pinpoint problems before they appear for the
student
Problem Solving Questions
Is there a problem to solve?
What is the problem?
How can the problem be solved?
Questions continued
Which solution
or combination is best?
Which solution
Should
be used?
Did the plan
work?
How to implement
Solution?
Learning Strategies again!
Tape recorder, planner, organization
devices, memory aids
 Longer response time
 Distractions to a minimum
 Instruction focusing on social aspects of
language
 Praise and encouragement
 Consistency and predictability

Get on your Teacher Caps!

Scenario: Julia in your class just got back
after a month long absence. While skiing
with her family, she careened off a slope
hitting her head causing severe brain
damage. She is experience severe short
term memory loss because of the
accident. What can you do to help Julia?
Remember the Q’s
Is there a problem?
 *What is the problem?
 *How can the problem be solved?
 Which solution sounds best
 *Which solution should be selected?
 *How to implement the solution?
 *Did it work?

How do we assess the kiddies?!
Keep in mind individual students
 Hard to separate physiological causes for
difficulty with task and from another
cause
 Pinpoint student’s academic and social
levels

◦ Team approach vital
In the Classroom
Break down large assignments into
manageable, specific parts
 Repetition key, especially key points
 Open ended, multiple choice questions
good- independent thinking
 Use of illustrations and diagrams for
harder material
 Begin class with review, end with class
with overview

What you can do!

Strap the kiddies into the car seats
Use
common sense
Sources
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Daniel P.Hallahan - James M.Kauffman - Paige C.Pullen - Pearson Boston – 2009
"Guide to Special Education Services." TBI Educator - Brain Injury
Education Resources. Teaching Research Institute, 2008. Web. 08 Apr.
2010. <http://www.tbied.org/>.\
Marcus-Keyser, Lori; Briel, Lori; Targett-Sharon,Pam. Enhancing the
Schooling of Students with Traumatic Brain Injury. Teaching
Exceptional Children. March/April 2002. 4 April 2010.
http://www.sbac.edu/~werned/DATA/RESEARCH/journals/Tea
ching%20Exceptional%20Children%20JO URNAL/TBI.pdf
The Patient Education Institutes. Causes and Effects of TBI. Medline
Plus. 5 May 2006. 4 April 2010.
◦ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/traumaticbraininjury/htm/
_yes_50_no_0.htm