This study assessed rates of learning disabilities (LD) by several psychometric definitions in children with epilepsy and identified risk factors. Participants (N = 173, ages 8-15 years) completed IQ screening, academic achievement testing, and structured interviews. Children with significant head injury, chronic physical conditions, or mental…

The study provides descriptive data on use of the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability with 39 adults with closed head injury. Correlational analyses indicated significant relationships between coma duration and performance on the Perceptual Speed and Memory clusters of the test. Time since injury did not correlate with test results.…

This study compared the preinjury and postinjury patterns of alcohol and illicit drug use of 87 persons (ages 16 to 20) with traumatic brain injury. Although an initial follow-up indicated decline in alcohol use, second follow-up (at 28 months postinjury) suggested that drinking quantity and frequency increased over time. Postinjury illicit drug…

This review explores the cellular pathology associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its relation to neurobehavioral outcomes, the relationship of brain imaging findings to underlying pathology, brain imaging techniques, various image analysis procedures and how they relate to neuropsychological testing, and the importance of brain imaging…

This article discusses behavioral sequelae common in children and adolescents following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the design of intervention strategies. Emphasis is on the unique needs of these students and the cognitive sequelae of TBI (such as impaired attention, reasoning, learning, and memory) that can cause further behavioral…

This article focuses on the educational implications of traumatic brain injury (TBI). It considers conceptual issues of TBI and discusses how assessment of this group differs from assessment of other groups. It offers an integrated intervention approach which attempts to bring order to students' life experiences, called the S.O.S. (Structure,…

This survey of 616 Canadian high-school adolescents suggests that light and mild head injury is almost 10 times as common as hospital-reported incidence. The study found significant relationships between reported head injury and hyperactivity, stuttering, mixed handedness, and dislike of mathematics. (Author/JDD)

This study examined the impact on 44 families of children who had suffered severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) within the past month. It found that families experienced significantly more injury-related stress and higher levels of psychological symptoms than 52 families of children with moderate TBI and 69 families of children with orthopedic…

The Conners Rating Scale was used to identify psychoeducational, neuropsychological, and sociobehavioral variables in attempting to define subtypes within a population of 95 children (mean age 10.6 years) with learning disabilities (LD) or documented brain damage. Results supported the sociobehavioral component in LD subtyping and parallels…

This article discusses recent findings concerning cognitive outcomes in traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children and adolescents, with a particular focus on age differences with TBI. It suggests a relationship between specific learning disorders and brain dysfunction, addresses differential hemispheric functioning with TBI, and outlines recent…

Disorders of attention, memory, and executive function are common sequelae of traumatic brain injuries in children. Intervention usually involves externally focused interventions aimed at changing the environment to minimize the dysfunction; internally focused interventions aimed at improving the underlying cognitive ability; or compensatory…

This article describes common experiences of families following a child's brain injury, and offers specific strategies that might help families through the recovery/reentry process. These include education, family support and advocacy, family counseling, and home-school consultation. (DB)

Evaluating children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in order to facilitate their transition to school is reviewed. A process-oriented approach to assessing TBI children during rehabilitation is suggested. The major areas of functioning important to school reentry are discussed. The need for families and professionals to communicate about the…

Thirty-five college students with learning disabilities (LD) and 25 students with a history of mild head injury (MHI) were compared on tests of neuropsychological, psychological, and academic achievement. Students with LD performed poorly on linguistically oriented psychoeducational tests, whereas students with MHI showed cognitive deficits in…

The school reentry of students with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is discussed, focusing on federal legislation requirements, TBI characteristics, assessment methods, the range of services that need to be considered, problems affecting students' academic and social functioning, need for a school team approach, schedule for reintegration planning,…