TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
DefinitionA student with a brain injury may qualify for special education services under the disability category traumatic brain injury (TBI). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) outlines the conditions that fall within this classification, formally defining TBI as “an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.”
The definition continues to specify, “Traumatic brain injury applies to open or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition; language; memory; attention; reasoning; abstract thinking; judgment; problem-solving; sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities; psycho-social 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.” Please note the last sentence. It indicates that hereditary brain injuries, conditions that worsen over time and brain injuries caused by birth complications do not fall under TBI. Primary CharacteristicsA wide range of traits are associated with traumatic brain injury, according to the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (commonly called NICHCY). These include mental, physical and emotional issues such as:
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