Too many adults who are survivors of brain injury have had multiple losses and lead isolated, lonely lives. Brain injury rehabilitation services have focused too much on trying to “fix” the survivor through rehabilitation treatment rather than helping the survivor develop a community with meaningful relationships that contribute to quality of life. This new direction is based on Condeluci’s concept of social capital and could change how rehabilitation programs and human services are delivered.

Questions about the way a person who has experienced a brain injury will act and what their personality will be like are the most frequently asked. Over time, it is the changes in social skills and behavior that are the biggest concern to families. More than the physical effects of a brain injury, changes in how a person acts post brain injury can be more difficult to adjust to.

One out of two adolescents or adults with brain injury abuses substances like alcohol or drugs. Some survivors trying to cope with depression, social isolation and other losses turn to alcohol or drugs. Abusing these substances can slow or complicate recovery.

The caregivers and families of severely injured veterans, many of whom have traumatic brain injury and blast injury, face ongoing emotional and financial pressures. There are thousands of unpaid caregivers, mostly parents, spouses and siblings, who assist vets injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, as they struggle to get through each day.

Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of disability among children and youth. Students returning to school with traumatic brain injuries may have an entire range of physical, cognitive, behavioral, social and emotional challenges. Exposure to education can aid in the recovery of these functions. Much as schools promote learning, recovery is a re-learning process, so it is important for educators in the school system to provide support and services.

There is an overlap between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and violence which is an important yet little understood problem. The exact number of violence-related TBIs each year is not known, but the CDC estimates 11% of TBI deaths, hospitalizations and emergency room visits combined are related to assaults.

The transition from childhood to adolescence is fraught with many physical and emotional changes. It can be a difficult time for the child and parents alike. Most families experience a period of major adjustment to the child’s changing mannerisms, quest for privacy and greater independence. When a child experiences a brain injury, either at a younger age or during this period of transition, it commonly creates many more problems than a child arriving at this age without a brain injury.

One of the common consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is sexual dysfunction. Unfortunately addressing sexual issues as a component of rehabilitation is often overlooked for a variety of reasons.

“Sexuality is an integral part of the human experience” (Sander). We are all sexual beings and sexuality is part of our life experience. Social mores and cultural differences make sexuality a taboo issue in some societies. Many therapists and other direct care providers in hospital and rehabilitation settings are untrained about sexuality and persons with disabilities. Their personal values often interfere with their ability or comfort level discussing the topic. When sexuality is overlooked as part of rehabilitation, sexual dysfunction can become an issue that is very difficult for families to understand. Social isolation, common for persons after TBI, limits opportunities for developing meaningful relationships.

These Fact Sheets are based on special issues published by Brain Injury Professional.

Back issues are available by calling the publisher HDI at (800) 321-7037.

Brain Injury/Professional is the largest professional circulation publication on the subject of brain injury and is the official publication of the North American Brain Injury Society (NABIS). Members of NABIS receive a subscription as a benefit of NABIS. Visit www.nabis.org to become a member.

Cognitive rehabilitation for children and youth with brain injuries (tbi) must address the developmental impact of brain trauma as the child matures. Children with traumatic brain injuries have unique needs for treatment and cognitive rehabilitation that are different from adults with brain injuries.

Children and youth with acquired brain injuries are less likely to receive inpatient rehabilitation than adults. School becomes the setting for cognitive rehabilitation for students with brain injuries. Consequently, families and educators become the long term providers of educational services and rehabilitation supports in local schools and the community.

The student with a brain injury will have changing educational needs as the latent effects of trauma to the brain emerge over time. So it is important for families and educators to work together as partners to identify and meet the needs of children and youth with brain injuries.