Notes from “Brain Injury: A Guide for Educators”
A brain injury has many effects that impact school performance. The following are some
common changes following a brain injury.
Cognitive Issues:
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Attention & Concentration- need for “cognitive breaks”
CommunicationReceptive- reduce amount of info given, complexity, avoid multiple directions and rapid
speech.
Expressive- difficulty with organizational though, finding words.
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Rate of Processing- may grasp only part of information; results in confusion and
misunderstanding.
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Organization- both cognitive and functional difficulty
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Executive Function- impaired reasoning, abstract thinking, problem solving, simultaneous
processing (ex.- listening and taking notes).
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Neurofatigue- brain working harder, need for frequent breaks
Memory- short term and long term deficits. May forget info they knew yesterday. Impacts
behavior: irritability, hostility, aggression, emotional control, judgment, mood swings.
Psychosocial Issues:
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Behaviors- injury exacerbates pre-injury behaviors; rewards/punishment not effective in
changing behavior, instead manage antecedents to the behavior.
Difficulty following conversation, particularily in a group, leads to inappropriate
responses.
Decreased self awareness
Things to remember:
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Each brain injury is different; each day may be different.
Model behavior you want to see—respond calmly, be understanding, if necessary step
back and reassess the setting/situation.
Stay away from “why” and reasoning questions.
For student, rest is the best preventative strategy for behavior outbursts.
Have to find the strategies that work for you—will vary with each teacher. (Suggestions
on p. 30-44 of “Brain Injury: A Guide for Educators”)
Differences & Similarity Between Brain Injury and Learning Disability:
We have familiarity in working with students with learning disabilities. While brain injuries
have some similarity, it’s important to be aware of the differences.
Similarity, may both exhibit:
 Reduced attention span, distractibility, impulsivity
 Low frustration tolerance
 Weak organizational skills
 Overwhelmed reaction to too much information
 Inappropriate social judgment
 Problem with integration skills
 Slow processing of information
 Deficits in problem solving and abstract thinking
 Reduced performance relative to abilities
Differences, student with brain injuries may have:
 Greater variation in performance levels
 Wider gap in ability
 Adjustment to learning with a different style than prior to injury
 More difficulty with new learning, old facts more often retained
 More pronounced memory deficits
 Adjustment to a new and different self from pre-injury self
 Altered social contacts, loss of friends
 Reduced self control
 Exaggerated inconsistent performance
 Wide range of inappropriate behaviors
 Lack of insight into problem
 Inconsistent learning rate
 Inconsistent behaviors
 Less responsiveness to rewards and punishments
Information from “Brain Injury: A Guide for Educators,” Brain Injury Alliance of
New Jersey, Inc., June 2012.