Characteristics Of Students With Traumatic Brain Injury

- Time of recovery will vary for each individual.

- Experiences memory, attention, and executive functioning difficulties.

- Slowed information and cognitive processing.

- Flat affect with outbursts.

- Preinjury skills are not representative of new learning abilities.

- Depression, impulse control, overestimation of abilities.

- Supports needed in the areas of cognition, speech, language, social skills, behavioral skills, and basic physical functioning.

- Not as motivated, often dealing with fatigue.

- Often experiences agitation and irritability.

Instructional Strategies/Accommodations For Students With Traumatic Brain Injury 

- Use direct instruction and systematic instruction, break down the work/learning into mini steps and reference each on its own.

- Teach basic strategies in doing so; the student will better recall vocab and steps.

- Use scaffolding; this helps to practice fluency.

- Give breaks and rest.

- Give the student your full attention, eye contact, speak clearly, with soft voice.

- Limit requests to a few at a time, and allow extra time for the students to complete them. 

- Recognize their efforts in the classroom, give them encouragement and praise.

- Give them requests/assignments capable of following.

Resources For Students With Traumatic Brain Injury

- Resources For Kids with TBI - This page goes over treatment and needs of kids with TBI - https://icahn.mssm.edu/research/brain-injury/resources/kids 

- Brain Injury Association Resources - This page gives you a rundown on what TBI is - https://bianys.org/resources/children/ 

- TBI Educator Resources - This page is for educators to help you teach students with TBI -  - https://www.crisoregon.org/Page/111 

- TBI Resources - This page has a collection of resources on TBI: https://ws.edu/student-services/disability/teaching/brain/index.aspx 

- TBI Illinois Resources - This page is a collection of resources for our state - https://www.biail.com/