Traumatic Brain InjuryBrian Murray

EEND 640ZMarch 23, 2014

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 child's educational performance.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Definition(According to the Illinois State Board of Education)

The term 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; psychosocial behavior; psychosocial functions; information processing; and speech.

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The term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative or to brain injuries induced by birth trauma.

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Mild - a confused or disoriented state which lasts less than 24 hours; loss of consciousness for up to 30 minutes; memory loss lasting less than 24 hours; and structural brain imaging (MRI or CT scan) yielding normal results.

Moderate - a confused or disoriented state which lasts more than 24 hours; loss of consciousness for more than 30 minutes, but less than 24 hours; memory loss lasting greater than 24 hours but less than seven days; and structural brain imaging yielding normal or abnormal results.

Severe - a confused or disoriented state which lasts more than 24 hours; loss of consciousness for more than 24 hours; memory loss for more than seven days; and structural brain imaging yielding normal or abnormal results.

Penetrating - a head injury in which the dura mater, the outer layer of the meninges, is penetrated. Penetrating injuries can be caused by high-velocity projectiles or objects of lower velocity such as knives, or bone fragments from a skull fracture that are driven into the brain.

TBI Categories

The most severe cases require specialized hospital care◦ May lead to months of patient rehabilitation

Mild cases may require a short term hospital stay for observation or at home monitoring

Treatments of TBI

Patients may receive rehabilitation in the following areas:◦ Physical therapy◦ Occupational therapy◦ Speech and language therapy◦ Physiatry (physical medicine)

Nerve, muscle, and bone treatment due to injury or illness

◦ Psychology/psychiatry◦ Social support

Treatment of TBI

◦ Rehabilitation therapies can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans Massage, electrical currents, heat, and cold to relieve

pain

◦ TBI rehabilitation has historically lagged

◦ TBI rehabilitation has greatly expanded, most notably to persons serving in the military

◦ An increased survival rate of individuals with TBI prompted the need for advanced rehabilitation services

History of TBI

TBI and War

Armed Forces TBI Stats

Approximately 1.7 million people receive traumatic brain injuries every year  

Of children 0-19 years old:◦ TBI results in 631,146 trips to the emergency

room annually

◦ 35,994 hospitalizations

◦ Nearly 6,169 deaths

How Common are Traumatic Brain Injuries?

Often thought to have:◦ Learning disabilities◦ Emotional disturbances ◦ Intellectual disabilities

As a result, they don’t receive the type of educational help and support they really need.

Students with TBI

Find out as much information you can regarding the child's injury and his or her current needs.

Extra time to finish school work. Written directions with step by step instructions. Show the student how to perform new tasks. Have consistent routines. Give the student lots of opportunities to practice the new skill. Realize that the student may get tired quickly. Let the student

rest as needed. Reduce distractions. Keep in touch with the student’s parents. Share information

about how the student is doing at home and at school. Be flexible about expectations. Be patient. Maximize the student’s chances for success.

Tips for Educators

2011 Ill. Laws, P.A. 204 (2011 HB 200) Requires each school board to adopt a policy regarding

student athlete concussions and head injuries to be included with any participation agreement. Also requires school districts to use educational materials to educate specified people regarding concussions and authorizes park districts to make available to residents and users of park district facilities educational materials that describe the nature and risk of concussion and head injuries.

2011 Ill. Laws, P.A. 97-0078 (2011 HB 3275) Amends current law to creates the Veterans Traumatic Brain

Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Public Service Announcement Fund.

Illinois Law Regarding TBI

Most concussion in sports laws include three action steps:

Educate Coaches, Parents, and Athletes: Inform and educate coaches, athletes, and their parents and guardians about concussion through training and/or a concussion information sheet.

Remove Athlete from Play: An athlete who is believed to have a concussion is to be removed from play right away.

Obtain Permission to Return to Play: An athlete can only return to play or practice after at least 24 hours and with permission from a health care professional.

TBI and Concussions

PTSD develops after a terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm. The person who develops PTSD may have been the one who was harmed, the harm may have happened to a loved one, or the person may have witnessed a harmful event that happened to loved ones or strangers.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

www.biausa.org◦ Brain Injury Association of America

http://nichcy.org◦ National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

www.alz.org◦ Alzheimer's Association

www.cdc.gov◦ Center for Disease Control

http://www.defense.gov/◦ U.S. Department of Defense

http://www.ncsl.org/◦ National Conference of State Legislatures

Internet Sources