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Signs and Strategies for Educating
Students with Brain Injuries
A guide for teachers and parents
By Marilyn Lash, Gary Wolcott & Sue Pearson ~ 2005
Introduction
In 1991, an amendment to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was passed. It created a category of traumatic brain injury to help educators identify these students and respond to their unique needs. The definition used under this law is
"...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. 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; 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." (256B, 34CFR300)
The National Center on Health Statistics reports that brain injury is the leading cause of disability in children between ages 1-14. Yet, in every state, the number of students receiving special education and related services with the classification of traumatic brain injury remains low in comparision to other conditions.
It has been estimated that up to 1,000,000 children receive brain injuries each year and that 1 in 500 children will be hospitalized with a brain injury each year. If the incidence of traumatic brain injury is so high, why is the number of students identified in the schools so low? Children who sustain mild brain injuries may not be identified at all, despite changes in their learning and behavior. Some students, whose injuries and resulting disabilities are more obvious, may be receiving services under other educational categories. Accurately identifying these students is a first and necessary step toward developing and providing the special education and support services they need in order to reach their potential for academic and vocational achievement, emotional growth, and preparation for adulthood. This book was written to help educators work through these critical issues.
The authors have several comments about terminology in this book. Although the federal law uses the term traumatic brain injury, there is another population of children with acquired brain injuries due to brain tumors, infections such as encephalitis and meningitis, and anoxic incidents such as near drownings, strangulation or suffocation. There are ongoing debates in many states about whether to use the limited traumatic definition of brain injury or to broaden this category to include all acquired brain injuries. While all states must comply with the federal definition, they have the option to use a broader definition under their state Department of Education’s regulations.
The authors have chosen to use the term brain injury for this book. Our practical experience is that children with traumatic and acquired brain injuries share an interruption in the ongoing development of the brain. While the cause of the injury may differ, the consequences are similar in terms of the changes that parents and educators will see and in the child’s ability to learn. Our use of the generic term brain injury includes both traumatic and acquired causes.
The other terms used often in this book are family and parent. They also are intended to be inclusive and recognize that the definition of family varies widely and includes many kinds of parents. The nuclear family with two parents is not the only model and is becoming less common. Single parents, step-parents, foster parents, adoptive parents, grandparents, and other relatives often are the primary caregivers who provide the emotional nurturing, physical care and supervision that all children need. Thus the term parent or family is intended to be inclusive and encompass all individuals who are closely involved in raising a child.
Finally, this book is a practical guide to help families and educators get started. Many checklists and worksheets have been designed so that you can apply the information to your child or your student. While the topic is complex, we have tried to present the information clearly with plenty of practical examples.
Price:
$30.00
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