Traumatic Brain Injury

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.  

(Ohio Operating Standards for the Education of Children with Disabilities, 2014)

Try some of these quick reference tools to help navigate evaluations when a Traumatic Brain Injury is suspected or diagnosed! 

• TBI Accommodation / Modification Checklist 

  • Provides examples of helpful solutions to aid students across a variety of categories such as attention, organization, and self regulation. 

• TBI Teacher Tool-Kit

  • Similar to the accommodation checklist, the tool-kit provides suggestions that the teacher can implement in the classroom. 

• Similarities & Differences Among Students

  • This provides an 'at-a-glance' view of how TBI affects students, compared with other 'more familiar' disabilities. This can help staff recognize the ways in which TBI may present unique challenges and require different strategies than they've used elsewhere.