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Hear disability experts from around the world comment on the status of children with disabilities in their countries. Watch a special video of the recent report on Project CHILD: Voices from Around the World.

Thank you for your interest, and you are welcome to share this widely. If you have comments or would like further information please contact me at projectchild@ppri.tamu.edu.

Charles D. Johnson, Director
Public Policy Research Institute
Regents Professor and Doha Fellow
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843
(979) 845-8800
http://ppri.tamu.edu

Written By: Frank Toral
My Child Has a Brain Injury, What do I do now? (pdf)
MyChildHasaBrainInjury.com

The full impact of a childhood brain injury can be difficult to quantify, since a child’s brain and body is still developing. Each developmental stage can be affected by the brain injury. Each stage involves changes to the child’s emotional, cognitive, physical and behavioural state, as he progresses from infant to toddler, from toddler to preschooler, from preschooler to school child and from schoolchild to adolescent. It is often said that a child grows into his brain injury, because it is only as the child becomes older that the full impact of the brain injury is apparent. Change for the brain injured is always difficult and childhood is a period of continual change. Temper tantrums in a toddler are accepted; temper tantrums in an older child or adolescent are unacceptable. The effects of a brain injury can be extensive, often lifelong and can include changes to a child’s cognitive, behavioural, emotional and physical state.

Children with a brain injury present unique challenges for parents, families and educators. It is extremely important for parents and schools to work together with medical and rehabilitation professionals, as the student makes the transition back into the school environment after having sustained a brain injury. As a result of the brain injury, a child may require additional one on one tutoring and/or special education arrangements. It is imperative that teachers be aware of a student in their class who has sustained a brain injury. Often a brain injury is not visible and behaviour can easily become mislabelled by a teacher.

Where there are obvious physical deficits, visible problems and/or speech difficulties associated with the brain injury, a child may experience feelings of embarrassment and/or self-consciousness. It is important for all parents faced with these situations to provide that extra support, and encouragement, and openly share and speak about these concerns with their child. Adolescent years can be difficult as they are marked by physical, hormonal, and behavioural changes. An adolescent with a brain injury may experience more emotional and physical control difficulties. Increased impulsivity and poor judgement are common. With adolescence there is often a desire for increased independence from ones parents. This is a normal developmental stage, however in the case of an adolescent with a brain injury the same desire for independence is challenged by the need for their safety. Ongoing supervision may be required as a result of difficulties with judgment and impulsivity related to their cognitive impairments.

Parents facing these scenarios may need to anticipate any potential problems, establish clear guidelines for behaviour and socialization, communicate regularly, and provide a form of safety net for their loved one. For adolescences with a brain injury, any sudden changes or transition can be very difficult and even overwhelming because of their reduced ability to think flexibly, creatively and appreciate the consequences of their decision or lack of one. Through any life changes, an early sign of difficulty in making a successful transition can be increased problems with mood, interpersonal conflict, “acting out”, depression, or even social withdrawal. Support and counselling can sometimes help in developing coping strategies and problem solving skills, to reduce the distress that may be associated with these transitions.

“A Childhood Brain Injury is not a single one time event, a brain injury is forever”.

Welcome to the BrainFit Lab at the University of Toronto, where our goal is to help the brain achieve peak performance following brain injury. To accomplish this we are doing research to better understand recovery from brain injury in children and youth. We invite you to visit our website to find out more information.

Brain Fit Lab – University of Toronto

Just as no two brain injuries are alike; no two family’s experiences are either. The realization of this section is in response to several inquiries. With that said, we are pleased to announce the addition of our newly created section called “Children & Brain Injury”. This section is dedicated to understanding more about children living with an acquired brain injury and the families that care for and support them.

We extend the opportunity to share your story, challenges, difficulties, and where able to; your creative efforts, strategies and/or solutions to help others through various similar circumstances. The sharing of information will not only lend moral support to other families, it may also enlighten educators as well as others more intimately.

Parents traditionally see their children through various stages of life. However, where a brain injury has occurred there are additional challenges with the transition back into their family environment and reintegration back into the community. Assuming the child is relatively young; there will be the on-going need for support through various stages with schooling and through their adolescent years, which as we all know comes with their own unique experiences.

Your Input Matters
We will be rolling out this new section in the next several days. We thank those who asked us to consider the idea and welcome other future content suggestions. Please take a moment to tell us what you think and what else you’d like to see. We are listening, and the above is proof of that.

Sincerely,
Brain Injury Forum