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Mailing Address Only
2150 W. 29th Avenue
Suite 520Denver, CO 80211
Email us
tdeshano@flourishsupportiveliving.com
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303-803-6977
Helping Students with a TBI Succeed in School
Learning to live with a traumatic brain injury is difficult enough for an adult, but many aspects of this are compounded when it comes to children. Young people do not often have the capacity to adapt to limitations on their emotional and psychological development that are suddenly thrust upon them in the aftermath of such an injury. In order to provide some sense of normalcy, it is important to get children back into school and in an environment where they can thrive. At the same time, young people can become easily frustrated when faced with the reality that school is more difficult than it used to be. Thankfully, there are some accommodations that can be offered to TBI students that are designed to help them be more successful in an academic environment.
Why is School So Difficult?
You might be wondering why school can become so difficult for students who have suffered a brain injury. It is particularly concerning when a young person used to thrive in an educational environment only to suddenly find that even the most basic of tasks is now difficult for them to finish. Students with a TBI may struggle in a variety of ways. One of the most noticeable is that academic achievement noticeably declines.
Many young people will begin to do worse in school no matter how hard they work or how much time they put into their studies. In fact, many students in this situation remark how they study twice as much as they did before the injury only to perform even worse. Needless to say, this can be quite frustrating. Not only is their rehabilitation of a primary concern, but students with a brain injury simply do not have capacity to understand why they suddenly have so much difficult with school.
Memory also tends to dissipate somewhat in the aftermath of a TBI. Many young people remark that they simply cannot retain information like they used to, making exams particularly problematic. Timed essays become difficult as well. By the time many students with a TBI have formulated their thoughts and are ready to begin writing, the time is up. This list can go and on, which is why taking advantage of offered accommodations becomes so important.
What Accommodations Are Available to Students With a TBI?
Students with a BTI are often offered additional to complete assignments given in class. This is important because the pressure of a deadline is often too much for a student with a TBI to deal with. There are also extended breaks that should be offered throughout the day in an effort to allow students the opportunity to recharge and get ready for upcoming tasks.
Since taking notes is often difficult, accommodations should be made for the student to either receive instructor notes or notes from another students. Students should also be offered the alternative of recording instructor lectures so that it can be played back at a later time. The amount of work assigned to a student with TBI should also be reduced according to the severity of their injury. This will give them a better environment under which they can thrive. Finally, students should be given more time on exams and provided with appropriate aids that can help them complete their work in a timely manner.
Conclusion
There are times in life when a little bit of help goes a long way. When it comes to accommodating students with a TBI so that they can excel in school, this is definitely the case. Caregivers should be aware of the accommodations available to those students who are in the midst of recovering from a brain injury. These aids are designed to help minimize the impact of the injury and enable the student to learn in an equitable and fair environment.
Phone: 303.803.6977
Email: tdeshano@flourishsupportiveliving.com
Corporate Office - Mailing Address Only: 2150 W. 29th Avenue, Suite 520, Denver, CO 80211