Authors

Janelle Breese Biagioni

An author, international speaker and long-standing advocate for families and survivors of brain injury, Janelle Breese Biagioni knows first hand the stress and challenges of trying to be a parent to two children while simultaneously being a wife and primary caregiver to a husband with significant cognitive, behavioral and emotional challenges following a traumatic brain injury. Her personal experience led her to earn a Certificate in Death and Grief Studies at the Center for Loss and Life Transition in conjunction with Colorado State University. She speaks and writes frequently on bereavement and coping strategies for families affected by catastrophic injury with workshops and presentations on grief and loss at conferences and on television and radio.

Ann Glang, Ph.D.

An Associate Research Professor at Teaching Research, a division of Western Oregon University, and a research scientist at Oregon Center for Applied Sciences, Inc. (ORCAS), Dr. Glang has worked as a special education teacher and as an educational and behavioral consultant in a rehabilitation unit specializing in treating adolescents and adults with traumatic brain injury.

Tami Guerrier, B.S.

Ms Guerrier’s career experience includes providing services for individuals with brain injuries in inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, as well as in the community, and in educational and vocational settings. She is currently the Coordinator and Principal Investigator for Project STAR at Carolinas Rehabilitation in Charlotte, NC. This program develops opportunities for individuals affected by brain injury in the community, assists individuals and families with accessing community resources, provides training for agencies on traumatic brain injury, develops brain injury prevention programs, and collects data on needs and service utilization. Ms Guerrier frequently presents at local, state, and national conferences on brain injury related topics.

Flora Hammond, M.D.

She Chairs the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Indiana University School of Medicine. Previously she was the Research Director and Brain Injury Program Director at Carolinas Rehabilitation in Charlotte, NC where she was Principal Investigator and Project Director of the Carolinas Traumatic Brain Injury Model System. Much of her research on traumatic brain injury has focused on outcome prediction, post-traumatic irritability, depression, relationships, and motor and cognitive recovery over time.

Tonya Hellard

As Office Manager and Copy Editor at Lash and Associates, Ms. Hellard has extensive experience in manuscript preparation. Because of her frequent phone contacts with veterans’ programs and the military in our customer service department, she has been particularly helpful in researching and identifying issues on parenting and the effects of PTSD.

Don Hood, B.A.

He has worked as a teacher, trainer, and behavioral and educational researcher for the past 25 years. The extensive use of focus groups to refine scripts, videos, pamphlets and manuals has helped Mr. Hood incorporate the “end user’s” perspective in new products. He combines this perspective with a strong belief in person-centered-planning for individuals with disabilities in his work. Mr. Hood is currently an Assistant Fellow at the Teaching Research Institute at Western Oregon University.

Marilyn Lash, M.S.W.

She is a Founding Partner at Lash and Associates Publishing/Training, Inc. in Wake Forest, NC. Author of many publications on the psychosocial impact of brain injury, her writing and training emphasize coping strategies for families and practical interventions by professionals and educators in hospitals, rehabilitation, schools and community programs. Ms. Lash is on various national task forces on brain injury and editorial boards of rehabilitation journals. She is the Past Chair of the Brain Injury Association of North Carolina and current Chair of the North Carolina Statewide Advisory Council on Traumatic Brain Injury.

Vicki Sue Parker

My inspiration for writing The Get Well Soon Balloon came soon after my brain injury. Being a mother of three children, as well as stepmother to two more, I watched as all five tried to cope with the many changes in our lives. Witnessing the struggles of my children after my brain injury, I looked toward books to help guide them. Finding little in the way of reading material for them, I set my mind to one day writing a book for children that would help them understand what it means when a parent has a brain injury. Although it took over five years before I had recovered enough, writing The Get Well Soon Balloon is the realization of a dream. I hope that children will read this book and feel less isolated in their new and abruptly changing world.

Carolyn Rocchio

As a spokesperson for families of survivors of brain injury and founder and past President of the Brain Injury Association of Florida, Carolyn Rocchio is internationally recognized for her compassion and expertise. Ms. Rocchio has written many articles for families and professionals on the consequences of brain injury and finding meaning in life after brain injury. Her list of achievements, honors and publications is lengthy. She is the voice of a mother who knows first hand about the compassion, endurance, hope and determination needed to move forward after brain injury.

Bonnie Todis, Ph.D.

An Associate Research Professor at Teaching Research, a division of Western Oregon University, and University of Oregon, Dr. Todis has used qualitative methodology to explore a number of issues in special education, including assistive technology, resilience factors for youth with disabilities in incarcerated settings, and self-determination for adolescents with disabilities. Her current work focuses on studying effective supports for individuals with brain injuries in schools and other service delivery organizations.