Guided PA IEP for Student with Traumatic Brain Injury
Students with TBI typically
need their IEPs reviewed
every 1-3 months during
the initial 1-2 years,
depending on the time
since the injury
www.brainsteps.net
The team needs to include
professionals knowledgeable
about TBI
Brain Injury Association
affiliates in your state
(www.biausa.org)
Many students with TBI may have vision difficulties in the form of
field of vision cuts, loss of vision, convergence issues – even after
concussion
Some students with TBI may have hearing difficulties.
*Pragmatic language skills, turn taking in conversation,
remembering & understanding language, difficulty
maintaining a topic of conversation & other language related
difficulties should be considered. Importance of teaching social
acceptance of themselves following their brain injury and self
disclosure. Discussing what they are comfortable sharing about their
experience and with who. SLP can help.
Students with TBI may need specially designed instruction regarding how to USE assistive technology
devices.
Students with TBI sometimes have difficulty with low frustration tolerance, perseveration, understanding
social cues, fatigue. These can negatively impact school behavior, include FBA and Behavior Plans, if needed.
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Document how student has changed
since TBI. Important to put accurate
medical information about areas of
brain impacted from brain injury to
help link performance strengths and
weaknesses with brain damage. In
addition current medications and how
the side effects may impact learning
Include the student’s performance in those areas related to traumatic brain injury e.g.,
cognition, memory, attention, reasoning, abstract thinking, judgment, problem solving,
sensory, perceptual & motor abilities, psychosocial behavior, physical functions, information
processing, and processing speed.
Transition planning is KEY:
•Teach skills to support Executive functioning deficits
•Focus on goals around self awareness of abilities
•Teach Self advocacy skills
•Connect student with Occupational Vocational Rehabilitation
•Connect student/family with point person for waiver process if necessary
Students with TBI often need support to learn
Executive Functioning skills (SO IMPORTANT
AFTER TBI!) as they are needed: learning to
plan, organize and make judgments, self
monitor, self regulate, etc.
Plans to use the student’s interests
and motivation to gain skills needed
for employment. e.g., Kenzie wants
to go to college. She needs to get
her driver’s license to drive there
Students with TBI may need support for life skills, even if
they have high grades or function well in other areas.
Often skills are scattered with strengths in some cognitive
areas that are needed for higher education/post
secondary, but daily management skills are compromised.
Important to plan for splinter skills, strengths and
weaknesses
Consider the student’s needs in
areas such as:
•Fatigue
•Pain management
•Memory
•Slow processing speed
•Physical management of materials
•Vision
•Need for structure in solving these
types of problems
Also, consider medically excusing, if
student has the above and endures
debilitating set backs following this
kind of testing.
Students with TBI may need
accommodations to help with
fatigue, pain management, memory,
etc. They may need to cut repetition
(50% of the work), they may need
teacher notes…there are many
accommodations teachers can utilize
to alleviate cognitive fatigue &
preserve cognitive reserve for a
student following TBI.
Consider the student’s needs in
areas such as:
•Fatigue
•Pain management
•Memory
•Attention
•Slow processing speed
•Physical management of materials
•Vision
Need for structure in solving these
types of problems, etc.
Students may need specially designed
instruction to help with memory strategies.
Students with TBI benefit from consistency
and utilizing strategies within the provided
curriculum. Depending where the damaged
areas of the brain are located multiple
attempts with different approaches may be
needed to determine what makes the most
sense for the student.
Social adjustment after a TBI can be difficult.
Consider the student’s need for specially designed
instruction on help with self regulation (self
monitoring, self awareness), recognizing fatigue,
or understanding social situations, etc.
Some students need specially designed
instruction to learn effective study strategies
across multiple settings, over time. Also
consider SDI – use of adaptive equipment
=Assistive Technology
Plan on multiple IEP revisions, especially for students who had a
TBI within the last 1-3 years because the student may:
1. Meet goals quickly and need new goals
2. Not make progress or may need a different approach
* Rapid change occurs during the first few yrs post injury!
Student may not need some
services for the entire year.
Some students with TBI need a shortened school day to help with the management of fatigue,
chronic pain, sleep difficulties, headaches – especially initially…Students may also need breaks
between classes (e.g., study hall) where they are allowed a brain break without any cognitive tasks
(nurses office or the library). This should not be when therapies take place especially if they are
newly re-entered into the classroom setting. Side effects of medications, assistive technology,
memory aids, etc.
Training for teachers SPECIFIC to TBI and the student’s individual needs should definitely be
included in the student’s IEP. CRUCIAL!
Students with memory difficulties, high levels of fatigue, or other needs associated with
TBI may need ESY. ESPECIALLY during the first 2 years post TBI. Not only should
regression and recoupment be considered, but serious consideration should be given to
the fact that during early recovery, this is a critical learning period in the student’s
academics
Student with TBI need appropriate peer models in order to learn or re-learn
how to act in social situations. Look beyond the student’s current
appearance and abilities. Many students with TBI change dramatically if
provided with appropriate challenges.
www.brainsteps.net
Students with TBI
may need several
types of support to
be coordinated
together