Traumatic Brain Injury in Kids and Teens Can Impact School Performance

Fall Sports Season Signals Parents to Watch for Symptoms and Engage School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists to Help

Rockville, MD (PRWEB) October 11, 2012

Kids and teens suffering from TBI may struggle with speech, language, and thinking, which can lead to problems reading or memorizing. They may have more trouble than usual focusing on tasks and homework or difficulties paying attention in class. Poor grades and/or problems talking with friends or doing favorite activities may result.

Every school district across the United States has a speech-language pathologist (SLP) who can work with a TBI-impacted student and his or her family and teachers to create a treatment plan. Leveraging their training in cognitive communication impairments and experience helping children develop language and reading skills, SLPs can administer and interpret cognitive and behavioral assessments. They may also work with teachers to transition kids returning to school after TBI and modify test times, class loads, homework, and deadlines as needed.

Having ongoing access to school-based SLPs can be especially helpful, given that the full impact of a brain injury may not be evident until months or even years later. A child who has a TBI in kindergarten may not have noticeable difficulty in school until second grade, when academics become more challenging.

TBI is increasingly impacting boys and girls of all ages. Each year, U.S. hospital emergency departments treat over 170,000 sports- and recreation-related TBIs*, including concussions, in children and teensand more cases go unrecognized or unreported.

When head injuries happen this fall, parents, teachers, coaches, and other concerned adults can watch for concussion warning signs and reach out to SLPs at the childs school for support. Parents should notify teachers if their child experiences even a mild bump to the head, so they can watch for TBI symptoms in class and minimize the students workload.

*Center for Disease Control and Prevention

ASHAs Infographic, TBI in Kids and Teens Can Impact School Performance, is available at http://www.asha.org/About/news/TBI-In-Kids-And-Teens-Can-Impact-School-Performance/.

About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

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Traumatic Brain Injury in Kids and Teens Can Impact School Performance