Traumatic brain injury

What exactly is a traumatic brain

injury?
Our brains are terribly fragile and vulnerable to all sorts
of injury. Although brain tissue can be damaged by a
variety of things like infections, tumors, or strokes, any
injury to the brain from an external force results in a
TBI.

Types of traumatic brain injury

Penetrating head injuries occur when an object, like
shrapnel, enters the brain and causes damage in a
specific area.
Closed head injuries occur when there's a blow to the
head, which can happen during a fall, car accident,
sporting event, or any number of different ways.
Both types of TBI can result in bruised brain tissue,
bleeding inside the brain, large or small lacerations in
the brain, and nerve damage due to shearing forces.
The brain can also experience a number of secondary
types of damage, like swelling, fever, seizures, or an
imbalance of neurological chemicals.

Mild TBI
Concussion
Most preventable TBI
Symptoms can last up to a year

Coping with a traumatic brain injury

While a TBI can be a life-altering event, the good news
is that all TBIs are treatable. With the right help, people
with TBI can improve the way their brain functions, and
they can often reclaim the portions of their lives that
were affected by the injury.
A small number of brain injuries, however, are still
considered catastrophic injuries and pose tremendous
challenges to people.

TBI effects
Cognitive: amnesia, inability to speak or understand,
mental confusion, difficulty concentrating, difficulty
thinking and understanding, inability to create new
memories, or inability to recognize common things
Sensory: sensitivity to light or sensitivity to sound
Emotional: anger, anxiety, apathy, or loneliness
Physical: balance disorder, blackout, dizziness, fainting,
or fatigue
Speech: slurred speech or impaired voice

Muhammad Ali

TBI might have caused Parkinsons

Trauma disrupts mitochondria, inflammation, and build
up of the protein Alpha-synuclein which clump up with
other proteins to form deposits called Lewy bodies in
the substantia nigra, part of the brain important for
movement

Educational Challenges
Difficulty taking tests and exams
Problems with following complex directions
Difficulty learning new skills

IDEA
A student with a brain injury may qualify for special education services under the
disability category traumatic brain injury (TBI). The Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) outlines the conditions that fall within this classification, formally defining TBI
as 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 childs educational performance.
The definition continues to specify, Traumatic brain injury 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; psycho-social behavior; physical functions; information
processing; and speech. The term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or
degenerative, or to brain injuries induced by birth trauma.
Please note the last sentence. It indicates that hereditary brain injuries, conditions that
worsen over time and brain injuries caused by birth complications do not fall under TBI.

Tips for Teachers and Parents

Teachers, Oklahomas State Department of Education advises giving students
with TBIs extra time to complete tests, as well as breaking down complex
directions into smaller steps, providing directions in writing and teaching a
student to use a day planner. Using a day planner to keep track of assignments
and schedules can help the student stay organized and avoid confusion.
Perhaps the most important tip for teachers and parents to consider is to take
the time to get to know each child as an individual. Parents, TBI assessment
offers an ideal opportunity for such a process. Before your son or daughter
returns to the classroom after a traumatic brain injury he or she should go
through an evaluation process to create an individualized education plan (IEP)
and identify which special education services might prove beneficial. To learn
more about IEPs read The IEP Process Explained.

 "About Traumatic Brain Injury." - Brain Injury Resource.

N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.
<http://www.brainline.org/landing_pages/categories/abo
uttbi.html?
gclid=Cj0KEQjwqfvABRC6gJ3T_4mwspoBEiQAyoQPkVMF
t5mvrss8Y_mRdRhhfPg_CzYMRyyrt3fsPZGNEUaAsmf8P8
HAQ>.
"A Definition of "Traumatic Brain Injury" under the
IDEA." Special Education Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov.
2016.
<http://www.specialeducationguide.com/disability-