Concussions, or mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs), are increasingly affecting school-age children in the United States. Despite this rising incidence, comprehensive return-to-learn plans for affected students are often inadequate and not utilized to the degree needed. This deficiency may stem from school psychologists' insufficient training,…

While clinical engagement is widely considered to be essential to the rehabilitation process, little empirical evidence exists examining the influence of engagement-enhancing practices on clinical performance. This dissertation study sought to evaluate the impact of a set of clinician-driven engagement practices, targeting key affective states,…

Concussive brain injury in high school athletes is a growing problem, with 3.8 million concussions in athletes in the United States. Additionally, 50% of these are not receiving proper treatment, meaning they play with a concussion, known as underreporting (Harmon et al., 2018). Concussive injury damages the sensorimotor system and has cognitive…

Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) has become ubiquitous in healthcare and healthcare education. While it is common for committees within higher education to utilize members with varied expertise, there is a lack of research identifying perceived benefits and barriers to this form of collaboration within this setting. Attempting to bridge the…

Concussions are complex injuries with a variety of heterogeneous symptoms and neurocognitive effects spanning physical, cognitive, social, and emotional realms, with distinct differences person to person in symptom severity and presentation. Current literature suggests a disparity between male and female athletes in their concussion recovery…

Recent literature has shown that the average recovery time from concussion is 29.4 days (D'Lauro et al., 2018). Such injuries pose the threat to cause unforeseen and significant health problems in children that include the development of social, emotional, or behavioral disorders, poor academic performance, and long-term cognitive impairment (CDE,…

This qualitative descriptive study was designed to explore educators and school leaders in Arizona and experiences that contributed to their preparation and work with the traumatic brain injured population. Specifically, experiences that influenced their understanding of the academic and behavioral needs of students were explored. Qualitative…

Each year approximately 1.6 to 3.8 million people suffer a sports-related traumatic brain injury (Langlois, Rutland-Brown, & Wald, 2006). Concussions, a common form of mild traumatic brain injury, account for 75% of total brain injuries in the United States (Faul, Xu, Wald, & Coronado, 2010). In sports, concussions account for 1 of every…

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that can have a serious effect on a young, developing brain. Following a concussion, it is common for children and adolescents to experience difficulties in the school setting. Schools may be the ideal setting to address some of the problems children experience as schools employ some personnel with…

The problem addressed in this study was that California public high school teachers are not educated about RTL protocols (RTL) for student-athletes following a concussion, fail to see the value in such protocols, and are skeptical of students needing academic accommodations. This qualitative case study aimed to identify teachers' areas of concern…

The purpose of this study was to compare the first-time neurocognitive concussion baseline outcomes, using the Cognigram assessment software, between American and Brazilian professional bull riders. The analysis was performed using the database provided by the Professional Bull Riding Association Sports Medicine staff. The Cognigram assessment…

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to develop an activity to address paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (PSH), a sequela of traumatic and acquired brain injury (TBI/ABI), and evaluate pre-/post-activity knowledge and comfort levels. Participants were also asked to approximate intent to change future practice and…

Concussions present a public health concern for school-aged children, prompting states to enact laws addressing their risk and management. Consequently, schools nationwide have established policies based on these laws. In 2010, the state of Virginia established the Code of Virginia outlining the proper policies and procedures related to…

Postsecondary students with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) encompass a rapidly growing population that does not achieve comparable academic outcomes to their peers without disabilities. These students may experience a vast range of impairments, including those that affect cognitive, physical, emotional, behavioral, psychosocial, and self-awareness…

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) may result in a wide array of cognitive deficits, including executive functions. A proposal by Ferretti and colleagues (2011 & 2013) has suggested that executive dysfunction caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI) impact navigation and discourse abilities in similar ways, suggesting that these skills may share…