Citation

Cave BK. Clearing House 2004; 77(4): 169.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In this article, the author identifies brain injuries as defined in special education law, discusses the number of students who might be impacted, describes symptoms, and reviews successful educational interventions. Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are defined in special education law in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 1990) as being an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability, psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Unlike with adults who are often admitted to a hospital for a period of time for surveillance or tests, many children are seen in emergency rooms, clinics, and physicians' offices and then sent home under the watchful eye of a parent. Teachers and their brain injured students have found the following steps to be helpful: (1) Build a bridge from old to new by engaging and focusing the student's attention on the student's prior knowledge or life experiences; (2) Create a framework for learning by using the student's strengths and compensatory strategies to reinforce particular learning needs; (3) Practice newly taught information to ensure learning and to establish memory cues; (4) Generalize the learning to new situations. Talking, drawing, or writing about a topic or comparing a topic to something else reinforces the material the student is learning; and (5) Move the student toward independence. For students with undiagnosed head injuries, there is hope.

Language: en