Pediatric TBI

COMD 7V86
Summer ‘05

Mon/Wed 2:00-4:45 pm
Textbooks: Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: Proactive Intervention
by Jean Blosser & Roberta DePompei (2 nd Edition)
Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation: Children & Adolescents by Mark Ylvisaker
(2nd Edition)
Instructor: Suzanne Bonifert, M.S. CCC-SLP
Phone: wk (214) 905-3007
Email: suzanne.bonifert@utdallas.edu
Office Hours by Appointment / A221 Center for BrainHealth

“We find a delight in the beauty & happiness of children that makes the heart too big for the body.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will cover assessment and intervention for children with brain injury from infancy
through adolescence. Emphasis will be given on cognitive-communication skills including language,
social, discourse and executive function skills. In addition, educational issues will be covered,
including planning for school transition after rehab and working collaboratively with school
personnel. Other aspects of pediatric TBI will be touched on including physical, psychosocial and
behavioral needs. Information on appropriate referral sources and follow up in these areas will be
given. Current research topics will be covered including long term follow up, discourse skills school
reintegration.

OBJECTIVES:
Students will be able to:
1. Identify normal anatomy of the central nervous system and how it relates to acquired brain
injury in children (Std. III-B, III-C)
2. Identify appropriate norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessment tools to evaluate
preschoolers and school aged children with acquired brain injuries. (Std. III-C, III-D, IV-G)
3. Use assessment data to identify appropriate goals based on functional outcomes and develop
setting-specific activities to target these goals. (Std. III-C, III-D, IV-G)
4. Be aware of ethical considerations and professional issues that relate to assessment and
treatment of children with acquired brain injuries, including the importance of the team
approach to care. (Std. IV-G)

June 1 Introduction (Y Ch 1, B Ch 1, 2)

6 Medical Management (Y Ch 3, 4, 5)

8 Other Issues:
Motor, feeding/swallowing, behavior (Y Ch 6, 7, 13 [271-283])
Guest Speaker: Kalin Burke, Shaken Baby Syndrome
Child Abuse Prevention Center
 13 Assessment (Y Ch 9, 10)

15 Assessment (Y Ch 2, B Ch 5, 6)

20 Family Impact (Y Ch 15, 16)

Guest Speaker: Bridget Heath, parent

22 Midterm Exam

27 Intervention (B Ch 7, 8, 10)

29 Intervention (Y Ch 11, 12 [241-259], 14 [303-317])

Guest Speaker: Susan Gelphman, SLP with ECI

July 4 No Class—Independence Day

6 Educational issues (Y Ch 17, 18, B Ch 9)

**research project due!!

11 Community Resources & Collaboration (Y Ch 20, B Ch 3)

13 Transition to Work & post-secondary school (Y Ch 19, B Ch 4)

Begin Presentations

18 Presentations

20 Final Exam

Please have all assigned reading completed prior to each class as it is essential in order to follow
lectures and participate in class discussions. Class participation during lectures is expected and
encouraged.

Grades:
Midterm Exam: 25%
Final Exam: 30%
Observation & Summary: 15%
Project & presentation: 30%

Observation and summary:

Observe an evaluation or therapy session for a child with brain injury (see following page for
resources on observation sites). Write up a 1-2 page summary of the session. Discuss and evaluate
techniques used.

Project and presentation:

Choose a research topic (see list on the following page for ideas). Write a paper summarizing the
current research, give a critical review of this research and discuss clinical implications. At the end of
the semester, you will give a 5-10 minute presentation on this research paper for the class.
Possible Observation sites:

Our Children’s House at Baylor

Allen: 972-727-5312
Coppell: 972-304-6062
Dallas: 214-820-9850
Grapevine: 817-305-5800
Irving: 972-790-8505

Children’s Medical Center of Dallas 214-456-8710

Cook Children’s Medical Center

Main hospital: 682-885-4063; transitional care unit: 682-885-4388
Arlington: 817-472-5572
Hurst: 817-581-2794

Center for BrainHealth 214-905-3007

Center for Neuro Skills 1-800-554-5448; 972-580-8500

Pate Rehab 972-241-9334

Parkland (Joanna Brown) 214-590-6823

Possible research paper topics:

Brain tumors
Effects of chemotherapy/radiation
Gushot wounds to the head
Discourse assessment and/or intervention
School re-entry/educational concerns
Family impact
Acquired Stroke in children
Anoxic episodes
Mild brain injuries
Concussions
Sports related brain injuiries
Ethnicity and brain injury
Seizures
Child abuse
This course has been designed to ensure that students demonstrate required knowledge and
ability as outlined in the Standards and Implementations for the Certificate of Clinical
Competence in Speech-Language Pathology. The specific standards addressed in this
course are:

Standard III-B
The applicant must demonstrate knowledge of basic human communication processes including
their neurological and psychological bases. In addition the applicant must demonstrate knowledge of
swallowing processes and their neurological bases.

Provided via class lectures, readings, slides, videotapes, practical in-class activities, and clinical observations.

Standard III-C
The applicant must demonstrate knowledge of the nature of receptive/expressive language,
swallowing, cognitive aspects of communication, social aspects of communication & communication
modalities with regard to both etiologies and characteristics of each area.

Provided via class lectures, readings, slides, videotapes, practical in-class activities, and clinical observations.

Standard III-D
The applicant must possess knowledge of the principles and methods of prevention, assessment and
intervention for people with communication and/or swallowing disorders with regards to
receptive/expressive language, swallowing, cognitive aspects of communication, social aspects of
communication and communication modalities.

Provided via class lectures, readings, slides, videotapes, practical in-class activities, and clinical observations.

Standard IV-G
The applicant for certification must complete a program of study that includes supervised clinical
experiences sufficient in breadth and depth to achieve the following skills and outcomes: evaluation,
intervention and interaction/personal qualities in the following areas: receptive/expressive language,
swallowing, cognitive aspects of communication, social aspects of communication, and
communication modalities (in addition to clinical experiences, skills may be demonstrated through
successful performance on academic coursework and examination, independent projects or other
appropriate alternative methods)

Provided via class lectures, readings, slides, videotapes, practical in-class activities, and clinical observations.
Pediatric TBI

Students will:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of normal anatomy of the central nervous system, how a brain
injury affects normal anatomy in children and its repercussions.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of etiologies and levels of severity of different types of acquired
brain injuries and describe characteristics of each.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of prevention of head injuries in children.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of assessement techniques for preschoolers and school-age children
with acquired brain injuries in the acute and chronic stages of rehabilitation in the areas of
swallowing, receptive/expressive language, cognitive aspects of communication, social
aspects of communication and communication modalities.
5. Describe the strengths and limitations of clinical and instrumental assessment techniques.
6. Describe and develop goals for children with brain injuries based on functional outcomes.
7. Describe and develop setting-specific functional activities and environmental modifications
for intervening with children with brain injuries (in both the acute and chronic stages) in the
areas of swallowing, receptive/expressive language, cognitive aspects of communication,
social aspects of communication and communication modalities.
8. Interpret, integrate and synthesize information to identify a patient’s strengths and
weaknesses as well as make appropriate recommendations, develop a treatment plan, write
appropriate goals and create functional activities to address these goals.
9. Identify roles and responsibilities of professionals involved in the care and rehabilitation of
children with acquired brain injuries.
10. Identify standards of ethical conduct as they relate to working with children with acquired
brain injuries.

As measured by successful completion of exams, paper, project and in-class activities.