Citation

Prasad MR, Swank PR, Ewing-Cobbs L. J. Head Trauma Rehabil. 2016; 32(1): E24-E32.

Affiliation

Children's Learning Institute, UT Health, Houston, Texas (Drs Prasad and Ewing-Cobbs); and School of Public Health, UT Health, Houston, Texas (Dr Swank).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/HTR.0000000000000218

PMID

26828713

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To better understand the impact of age at injury, severity of injury, and time since injury on long-term school outcomes of children with traumatic brain injury (TBI). PARTICIPANTS: Four groups of children: complicated mild/moderate TBI (n = 23), severe TBI (n = 56), orthopedic injury (n = 35), and healthy controls (n = 42). Children with TBI were either 2 years postinjury or 6 years postinjury.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional design. MEASURES: School records as well as parental ratings of functional academic skills and school competency.

RESULTS: Children with severe TBI had consistently high usage of school services and low school competency ratings than children with orthopedic injuries and healthy controls. In contrast, children with complicated-mild/moderate TBI were significantly more likely to receive school support services and have lower competence ratings at 6 years than at 2 years postinjury. Students injured at younger ages had lower functional academic skill ratings than those injured at older ages.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the increasing academic challenges faced over time by students with complicated-mild/moderate TBI and the vulnerability of younger children to poorer development of functional academic skills.

Language: en