Meeting the Needs of Students

traumatic top dog injuries (TBI) be a leading cause of death and dis might among children and adolescents, with an annual incidence estimated at 180 cases per 100,000 children between the ages of 1 and 15 in the United States (Yeates,2005). Traumatic chief injuries (TBI) are defined in the limited education uprightness in the Individuals with Disabilities Education lick (IDEA 1990) as being an injury to the nous caused by an external physical force, closureing in total or fond(p) functional disability or psychosocial impairment that affects a childs educational process (Cave,2004).Knowing that, students acquirement deficiencys are different from students with separate exceptionalities (Spear,2005). every sidereal twenty-four hours and special education teachers need to use a variety of peculiar(prenominal) strategies based on acquire styles and certain resources, with students who squander experienced a TBI, to promote chequering in all subject areas. A TBI alters a childs mind and changes the way he or she thinks. Teachers essential be sure of this and know how to adapt in order to allow in their needs in the classroom. TBIs change cognizance and behavior in students and no two students with traumatic brain injury will vaunt the same characteristics (Spear,2005).Students who have sustained a head injury whitethorn experience problems in physical, cognitive, and psychosocial areas. Physical make With regard to physical deficits, individuals with TBI whitethorn have an array of problems ranging from sensory deficits to trouble with mobility. Headaches and fatigue are common, especially during the early stages of recovery (Bullock,2005). Their muscles may be weak, hypotonic, or spastic, which could interfere with learning activities such as writing and keyboarding. They may in any case experience seizures.In general, schools are more than proficient at making physical accommodations for students. cognitive Effects Cognitive problema ticalies are common following a brain injury and some may seem quite baffling to educators unfamiliar with TBI (New York State Education Dept. ,1997). For example, children with TBI may have short-term memory problems, yet, may be able to easily recall selective information learned foregoing to their injury. This has signifi raiset implications for assessment purposes. Furthermore, it is possible for a student to perform wholesome on some widely used standard assessments using his or her prior knowledge.Such a false indication of the students current take of functioning may prevent the individual from receiving the proper services. To avoid this drawback, some(prenominal) different methods of assessment should be used when attempting to determine the needs of a student recovering from TBI. Memory is only one aspect of cognition that is affected by TBI. It in any case commonly affects a students ability to attend to instruction, mental processing speed, and thought formulation and reasoning. These are only a few of the hardships faced by students who are affected by TBI and educators must be aware of these problems.Psychosocial Effects Difficulties that result from changes in the students social, horny, and behavioral functioning are known as psychosocial do (Bullock,2005). The changes in the brain resulting from the injury, along with stress and anxiety brought on by rehabilitation and recovery, may cause children with TBI to exhibit unusual emotional states, such as dramatic mood swings. This emotional state can cultivate negative reactions from peers and teachers and makes it difficult to maintain positive relationships.When children with TBI travel by to school, their educational and emotional needs are often very different than in the lead the injury. retentivity how they were prior to the brain injury may make injured students sense of smell embarrassed, ashamed, or frustrated about their change in performance in the classroom (Bullock,2005) . Of the various types of difficulties resulting from brain injury, the psychosocial effects have proven to be the most challenging for school personnel and parents to manage.Resources and Services Available The effects of a brain injury include a wide puke of services and accommodations that may be needed. Highly individualized planning is also required (Zabel, 2005). Many students with mild to moderate TBIs usually return to regular general education classes with some adaptations and modifications. Students with TBI who attend mainstream classes may also receive accommodations or related services under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504.Section 504 covers all students who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limit one or more major life activities, including learning (Zabel, 2005). Students with more significant impairments should be referred to special education evaluation to determine if specialized services are necessity to address any cognitive, c ommunication, physical, or social limitations. What Educational Interventions Are prospering? Students who have a difficult time concentrating or completing tasks need strategies. Teachers should present information to these students based on their strengths.These students have to choose a way to strengthen their learning skills by practicing modalities such as learning visually, kinesthetically, or auditorily. It is important that teachers include prioritizing, structuring, and slowing down while instructing a lesson. This can simply mean talking slower, giving less information at a time, and answering questions more thoroughly(Cave,2004). ClassroomAccommodations Altering the classroom environment is essential when trying to meet the needs of a student with a TBI (Bowen, 2005).As an educator, you may want to provide external devices and cues, which the student can use to compensate for organization, memory, and motor deficits. Assistive devices can include good equipment and ma terials such as tape recorders, calculators, electronic spellers, computers or word processors, increasing communication devices, timers,or equipment for mobility (e. g. , wheelchair or electric scooter). Other external cues used to motivate students include labels, maps, checklists, pictures or icons, photograph cues, post-it-notes, calendars, planners, and journals (Bowen, 2005).Modifications to existing materials can assist students with TBI to learn and function in the classroom setting. Typical adjustments that allow students to participate at their grade level include providing large print books, books on tape, and vivid organizers. A similar approach involves altering the expectations for student participation. For example, teachers may choose to allow more time on tests, reduce the amount of pen work required, provide exams in multiple choice format, or prevail pass/fail grades rather than letter grades.Researchers have found that modifying the educational environment and increasing the amount of structure and predictability in the childs school day facilitates learning (Keyser-Marcus, 2002). We must consider each childs individual difficulties and circumstances when find appropriate modifications. Therefore, we must assess the influence of the environment on the students ability to focus and learn and we need to explore a variety of modifications before we modify the educational surroundings.Due to the fact that many students with TBI experience difficulty with fatigue, a modified school day may be inevitable for better performance. Scheduled breaks or a shortened school day may limit fatigue. Another strategy would be to schedule difficult subjects early because the students alertness level is higher. In summing up to modifications to the school day, researchers have found that altering the students workload, extending deadlines, and breaking tasks into smaller components have all improved academic performance.TBI Organizations The Brain Inj ury standoff helps promote awareness, commiserateing, and prevention of brain injury through education, advocacy, and community declare services (Monfore, 2005). Its web site has links to support groups and has a riches of information on various aspects of brain injury. The Brain Injury confederacy is a non profit organization that works with clients, families, and caregivers to identify strategies and techniques to maximize newfound potential for a stronger recovery from brain injury.This organization sponsors events, as well(p) as provides general information on TBI, a newsletter, links to other relevant sites, and important contact information for government officials in a position to affect legislation. Summary Children and youth with traumatic brain injury can pose a significant challenge to educators in educational planning, teaching methods, and monitoring of students performance. For students who have experienced TBI, educators should be aware of the medical, neurologi cal, and psychological issues which shape each individuals TBI case (Stevens, 1994).The educator must understand the relevance of these issues to plan effective educational programs. Regardless of the types of accommodations and strategies we use with these students, the most effective programs depend on our willingness to learn about the specific consequences of the injuries and our attempts to tailor-make the instruction and curriculum to meet the needs of those students. Educators have a brisk role in providing the widest range of opportunities available to these students.