What is Traumatic Brain Injury?
“Traumatic brain injury” (TBI) means an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force or by other medical conditions, including but not limited to stroke, anoxia, infectious disease, aneurysm, brain tumors and neurological insults resulting from medical or surgical treatments. The injury results 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, as well as to other medical conditions that result in acquired brain injuries. The injuries result 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.
Resource: Operating Standards and Related Guidance for Ohio Educational Agencies Serving Children with Disabilities, Ohio Department of Education.
Traumatic Brain Injury Model System
The Traumatic Brain Injury Model System (TBIMS) program was created and funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) in 1987 to demonstrate the benefits of a coordinated system of neurotrauma and rehabilitation care and conduct innovative research on all aspects of care for those who sustain traumatic brain injuries.
Traumatic Brain Injury National Data Center at Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education Center is the coordinating center for the research and dissemination efforts of the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems (TBIMS) program.
Resource: National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research: www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/about.html
Resource: Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education Center: www.kmrrec.org/profile?employee=eelovic
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), traumatic brain injury contributes to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability annually. Of the 1.4 million who sustain a TBI each year in the United States: 50,000 die; 235,000 are hospitalized; and 1.1 million are treated and released from an emergency department.
Among children from birth through 14 years of age, TBI results in an estimated: 2,685 deaths, 37,000 hospitalizations, and 435,000 emergency department visits annually.
TBI can be a silent epidemic. The number of people with TBI who are not seen in an emergency department or who receive no care is unknown and it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of children and adults remain undiagnosed or misidentified.
Traumatic brain injuries can be the result of many circumstances, but are typically the result of accidents. The top reasons are falling, injuries sustained by moving vehicles and assault. Whatever the reason behind the injury, the individuals and their families suffer the resulting effects and rehabilitation can be lengthy.
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Ohio is a microcosm of the nation in terms of TBI statistics. Males are twice as likely to sustain a traumatic brain injury than females. Of those injuries, the vast majority result from blunt force trauma; a small minority result from penetrating wounds. Two-thirds of all injuries occur at home or on the road.
Statistics from the 2007 Child Count (Ohio Department of Education, Office for Exceptional Children), the number of children listed with TBI was 1,148. However, in the Biennial Report on the Incidence of Brain Injury in Ohio (Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission), the number of children and youth from January 2005 through 2007 with brain injuries reported as follows:
- children from birth through age five - 739
- children from age five through nine - 531
- children from age 10 through 14 - 850
- Children from age 15 through 19 - 1,508
Taken in relation to the Child Count statistics of 1,148, the number reported from the Ohio biennial report was 3,628—a difference of almost 2,500 children.
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The implications of children with mis- or undiagnosed traumatic brain injuries in the classroom are huge. There are also a variety of reasons that these children are missed:
- A child with a TBI may look normal.
- A parent may not realize that their child suffered a brain injury, so it went unreported.
- A child might have suffered a TBI but be labeled under another disability category.
Whatever the reason, these children may have many challenges to overcome in order to progress in school. Some of the common manifestations of traumatic brain injury in the classroom inlcude the following:
- difficulties with attention or concentration,
- trouble with information processing speed,
- problems with memory, and
- trouble with executive function.
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The Ohio Department of Education is launching initiatives aimed at helping students with traumatic brain injuries. The initiatives are aimed at screening, parent education, educator education, networking, and assisting children who are transitioning from hospital to school.
Educators, parents and professionals are concerned with supporting children, youth and adults who have suffered traumatic brain injury. Further assistance can come through increasing screening, explore resources, and increase training that is given to those likely to identify signs of TBI, including parents, school psychologists, teachers, and others.To find out more about traumatic brain injury, visit the links and resources section from the menu above.
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Community Support Network (CSN)
The Brain Injury Association of Ohio The Community Support Network program is the Brain Injury Association of Ohio's plan to extend and enhance its information, resource identification and outreach services by placing field staff in 15 geographic areas which encompass all of Ohio's 88 counties. The Community Support Network in Region 1 and in Region 5 handle requests throughout the 13 counties served by the State Support Team Region 1.
CSN Area 1
Community Support Network Area 1 serves Defiance, Fulton, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Paulding, Williams, and Wood counties. Contact the CSN Area 1:
Christine Veronie
Brain Injury Association of Ohio
c/o Lucas County Board of MRDD
1155 Larc Lane
Toledo, Ohio 43614
Telephone: 419.380.5110; Fax: 419.382.1853
CSN Area 5
Community Support Network Area 5 serves Putnam and Van Wert counties in State Support Team Region 1. Area 5 also serves Allen, Auglaize, Hardin, Logan, Mercer, Shelby, and Union). Contact the CSN Area 5:
Jennie Horner
Brain Injury Association of Ohio
c/o Allen County Department of job and Family Services
1501 S.Dixie Highway
Lima, Ohio 45804
Telephone: 419.999.0251; Fax: 419.227.2448