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About Traumatic Brain Injury
Children with a Parent with TBI Often Grow from the Experience
Dr. Audrey Daisley explains that in the long term, kids with a parent with TBI often feel as if they have grown stronger from the experience.
Christopher Nowinski's Frightening Post-Concussive Symptoms
It took years for athlete Chris Nowinski to overcome his many symptoms from TBI. They ranged from debilitating headaches 50% of the time, REM [sleep] behavior disorder, short-term memory problems, and more.
BrainLineKids.org: Helping Kids with Traumatic Brain Injury
BrainLineKids helps parents, educators, and professionals communicate and develop common goals to help kids with TBI.
BrainSTARS: Sensory Processing
Many sources of stimulation that are interesting or fun for other children, such as bright colors, loud music, and crowds, may be uncomfortable for a child who has difficulty processing sensory information after a TBI.
The Journey Toward Recovery: Youth with Brain Injury
Jerome squeezed hard on the hand brakes, but it was too late. His front wheel collided with the dog; the dog yelped, and Jerome somersaulted over his handlebars.
Types of Brain Injury
Learn what can happen to the brain — from compression fractures to contrecoup injury.
Working the Sidelines
One athletic director's strategies for keeping young athletes' brains safe.
Typical Recovery Sequence Following TBI
From learning to walk again to processing complex information — learn the steps to recovery.
Traumatic Brain Injury: Susan's Story
Understanding the basics of TBI is crucial, especially since the symptoms can be invisible.
Advocacy
Don't Give Up: Advocate for Your Child with Traumatic Brain Injury
Parents know their children better than anyone. Follow your instincts — right after your child's injury or ten years after the fact.
Self-Advocacy
Giving students with disabilities the skills to self-advocate.
The National Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury Plan
Learn more about the National Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury plan.
Tips, Contacts, and Tools for State Agencies
Contacts and iinformation from the various state agencies.
Anxiety & Stress
Helping Kids with TBI and PTSD
Children with TBI and PTSD often reveal how they are truly coping through play, nightmares, or when they regress in developmental milestones.
Assistive Technology
Speech Recognition for Learning
Learn how current speech recognition technology can help students with brain injury or other disabilities.
Assistive Technology and the IEP
Parents are their child's most effective advocate after brain injury. Learn more.
Let's Play: A Guide to Toys for Children with Special Needs
A child with TBI may have special needs. Find the best toys to promote learning and recovery.
Integrating the Arts with Technology: Inspiring Creativity
Integrating arts into the curriculum, especially for kids with brain injury or other disabilities, can produce many amazing results.
New Electronics: Turn Them On for Learning
Learn how to integrate the use of new technologies with instruction and studying for kids with TBI or other disabilities.
On the Go: What Consumer Products Can Do For You (If You Know Where to Look!)
New electronic technologies can help students with disabilities with independence, productivity, and participation in school and life.
Tips for Teaching LD Children About Online Safety
Assume that anything posted on the web is there forever.
Blogs, Wikis, and Text Messaging: What are the Implications for Students with Learning Disabilities
Using modern innovations to help with school work and life.
Making the Written Word Easier for Readers with Print Disabilities
Find solutions to help your child who may have trouble reading print.
Reading Software: Finding the Right Program
Learn about the various reading software applications that address different needs.
Adaptive Equipment: An Illustrated Guide
Find out about adaptive equipment that can help with daily tasks like washing and dressing.
Boosting Inclusion in After School Activities with AT and Supplemental Services
Participation in extra-curricular activities like art, music, theater, or sports comes with many benefits -- from social integration to higher self-esteem.
Help for Young Learners: How to Choose AT
Assitive technologies for young kids can include low-tech items, like pillows and mirrors, as well as high-tech items, such as augmentative communication devices.
Questions to Ask Colleges About Assistive Technology Resources
Availability of assistive technologies for people with disabililities is different in the K-12 environment versus college. Know what to ask.
Using Assistive Technology to Support Writing
Learn how to use assistive technology to help your students with TBI become better writers.
Behavioral & Emotional Symptoms
BrainSTARS: Receptive Language
The difficulty learning from language alone may make it appear as if the child with TBI is not listening.
BrainSTARS: Regulation of Emotion
During calm moments, teach your child some alternate strategies to use when she is angry or frustrated.
Understanding Your Child’s Behavior After a Severe Brain Injury
Like all children, as those with severe TBI move from childhood to adolescence to adulthood, their needs and wants change. Behavior problems can serve the function of drawing attention to a changing need.
BrainSTARS: Adolescent Self-Regulation
Despite their age, adolescents with self-regulation difficulties after brain injury require the amount of supervision and structure typically provided for younger children.
Normal Tantrum or Signs of a Brain Injury?
How parents can work with their child’s doctor and school in case of an undiagnosed brain injury.
The Emotional Consequences of Concussion
Lots of rest, sleep, and reduced stress are crucial for a child recovering from a mild TBI.
Emotional and Behavioral Changes in Children After Brain Injury
Everything affects the outcome after a TBI -- from the severity of the injury to the ongoing support of family, friends, and community.
Caron Gan Talks About Working With Adolescents After Brain Injury
Adolescence is never easy. Hear how this family therapist works with young adults with TBI.
Handling Behavior
What are the most effective ways to deal with challenging behavior in kids?
Behavioral Considerations Associated with Traumatic Brain Injury
Children with TBI need tailored care in the classroom.
Brain Injury Rehabilitation
What Is Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy and How Can It Help Children with TBI?
Constraining an unaffected limb while intensely using an affected limb can help children regain upper limb movement after a brain injury.
Longer Recovery Time Needed for Younger Brain?
An adolescent athlete may need a few extra days of recovery time than her college counterpart since her brain is still developing.
Transitioning to Adult Life for Kids with TBI
Studies are being done to find the best ways to help kids transition from the hospital back to school and from school to adult life.
Pediatric Versus Adult Rehabilitation After Brain Injury
Learn how age and developmental experience can affect outcome.
Vocational Rehabilitation Services: Can They Help You?
Tools and services needed to make the leap to your post-secondary years.
Cognitive Rehabilitation for Children and Youth
Why collaborative partnerships work.
BrainLine Talks with Dr. Jeffrey Kreutzer and Dr. Taryn Stejskal About What Services They Provide at VCU
Find out what kind of services these doctors offer and why their work is highly effective.
Dr. Tedd Judd Talks About Errorless Learning After Brain Injury
What exactly is this teaching tool used for people with TBI?
How to Succeed in Biz-Ness by Really Trying (Logan's Story)
This is the story of a girl named Logan who persevered through her brain injury to create a magazine for other kids with disabilities and inspire them to achieve their dreams and goals.
Brain Injury Symptoms
Broken Arrow Boy
When Adam Moore was 8 years old, a fluke accident resulted in an arrow piercing his brain. This slideshow tells the story in his words and pictures.
Making Connections Between a TBI and Later Developmental Issues
Pediatrician Rachel Berger talks about the importance of parents and doctors being aware of a child's early concussion in case later he or she has trouble reading or is acting out ... the two may be connected.
Making a Difference #5: Brain Injury in Children
A TBI can derail a child's normal development process. Learn some myths and facts about kids with TBI.
What Impact Can Age Have on a Child's Injury?
Learn what symptoms and signs to look for in your child with TBI -- whether the injury happened at 3 years of age, or 12 years.
What Do Parents Need to Know About Traumatic Brain Injury?
Learn what parents should know -- from prevention to how to use rehab therapy, support, and love to help their child recover from TBI.
What to Do If Your Child's Symptoms Are Not Abating
Oftentimes a child sustains a TBI but her CT or MRI scan shows nothing. If symptoms persist, seek out a specialist.
When Does the Pediatric Brain Turn into the Adult Brain?
The brain keeps developing till the age of 25. How should young soldiers and their civilian counterparts be treated after a brain injury?
A Child's Age at the Time of Injury: What Do We Know?
Learn what symptoms and signs to look for in your child with TBI -- whether the injury happened at 3 years of age, or 12 years.
Can Head Banging in Children Cause Brain Injury?
An unusual situation, but precautions should be taken to prevent TBI.
Lesión cerebral traumaticá
Susana tenía 7 años cuando la atropelló un automóvil mientras andaba en bicicleta. Se le quebró un brazo y una pierna. También se pegó muy fuerte en la cabeza.
Caregiving & Brain Injury
Crash
Two teenagers. A dark road. A drunk driver. This excerpt is from a beautiful book about the journey from grief to gratitude to grace by a pediatrician-mother.
Ketchup on the Baseboard: Rebuilding Life After Brain Injury
Mother Carolyn Rocchio used to worry about the little things in life until her son had a car accident.
Fighting for David
What is the dividing line between hope and hopelessness? Meet one mother who found out.
Crooked Smile
A moving family story that makes you wish the book never ends.
Concussion / Mild TBI
Infographic: TBI in Kids and Teens Can Impact School Performance
Did you know that US emergency departments treat more than 170,000 sports- and recreation-related TBIs, including concussions, in children and teens, each year? Learn from and share this important infographic.
A Portable Device to Detect TBI on the Sidelines
Learn about a new low-cost, portable device to detect possible neurocognitive symptoms after a TBI.
Just a Few Knocks on the Head: The Concussion Conundrum
This is a tale of two boys from very different backgrounds who had one very important thing in common. They were both mad about rugby — and they both suffered from concussion.
What Does Post-Concussive Syndrome Look Like in Children?
Learn what to look for in babies, young children, and adolescents.
Does the Label “Concussion” Change Treatment?
Kids who are diagnosed with a “concussion” might not be getting the care they need.
When Is It Safe to Return to Play After a Concussion?
An important new law evens the playing field.
Dr. James Kelly Talks About Children, Helmets, and Concussion
BrainLine sat down with Dr. Kelly to talk about how TBI affects children differently from adults, the use and design of helmets, and how parents can best deal with concussion in their child.
Acute Concussion Evaluation (ACE) Test
This screening tool can be used for the initial evaluation and diagnosis of people who have or may have had a concussion.
Concussions
Is the risk of sustaining a TBI greater for kids?
Concussion Recovery: Parents Play Important Role
Key steps for families to take.
Atención: Concusión cerebral en los deportes de colegio (para los padres)
¿Qué es una concusión cerebral? Una concusión cerebral es una lesión del cerebro que surge a consecuencia de un golpe o una sacudida a la cabeza.
Diagnosing & Treating Brain Injury
Extending Use of Biomarkers to Pediatric Population with TBI
Researchers and clinicians hope to make using biomarkers to diagnose TBI in infants or even in pre-natal cord blood a reality.
The Dangers of Creating "Vulnerable Child Syndrome"
Parents need to balance their awareness of a child's mild TBI with letting that worry get in the way of the child's normal development.
The Specifics of Abusive Head Trauma
Abusive head trauma includes Shaken Baby Syndrome but also includes other injuries inflicted by an adult on a child.
CT Scans Versus MRIs for Imaging a Child's Brain
Both CTs and MRIs come with risks — from sedative drugs to levels of radiation. Depending on the severity of brain injury, parents and doctors should always consider the risk-benefit ratio.
More Research and Attention Needed for Pediatric Brain Injury
Pediatrician Rachel Berger talks about how pediatric brain injury is behind that of adult brain injury in research and process.
How to Treat Children with TBI
Unlike adults, children with a brain injury may not manifest any issues until they fail to reach a new developmental stage. Earlier intervention is always advisable, but diagnosis can be tricky.
High Hopes for Blood Biomarkers to Diagnose Brain Injury in Young Children
Pediatrician Rachel Berger talks about her research on blood biomarkers that could be used in the emergency setting to test for brain injury in babies and young children.
Neuropsych Exam Versus Imaging for Brain Injuries
A full neuropsychological evaluation of a child with a mild brain injury can often tell more about the nature of the damage and its functional effects than imaging screens like CAT scans or MRIs.
What Cognitive Rest Really Means
Cognitive rest after a brain injury for kids means a break from sports and intense school work. It also means no tweeting, texting, internet, cell phone ...
Can Symptoms of TBI Show Up a Few Years After an Injury?
Learn how a TBI can play a role in a child’s motor skills and language development.
The Dangers and Misunderstandings of a Second TBI
Hear what happens to one young girl who has a minor TBI while snowboarding ... and a serious car crash months before.
Child Brain Versus Adult Brain with Traumatic Brain Injury
Studies show that a child's brain is more vulnerable to the effects of a brain injury and takes longer to recover. Learn more.
Second Impact Syndrome in Children
What happens if a young athlete doesn't take the proper amount of time to recover after a concussion before sustaining another?
The Role of Imaging in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury
New imaging technology is helping show what's normal versus not normal development in a pediatric brain. Learn more.
Severe TBI Can Impact the Cardiac System in Boys
Study shows that severe TBI in boys can affect heart rate.
Caron Gan Talks About Being a Family Therapist
Learn about the work of a family therapist.
Severity of Brain Injury
Every brain injury is unique, but what do these levels of severity really mean?
Family Concerns
Unfreezing Grief
"Growing up with a father with a TBI is complicated, un-ending grief without closure. It’s the opposite of resolution. It’s missing someone like hell who’s still alive and with you."
Using Play Activities When Working with Children Who Have a Parent with TBI
Dr. Audrey Daisley talks about the effectiveness of using crafts or story-based activities for kids of all ages who are dealing with a TBI in the family.
Strategies for Children Who May Feel Embarrassed About a Parent with TBI
Role playing is one strategy that psychologists use to help children deal with embarrassment they may have by their parent with TBI, or people's reaction to that parent.
How to Deal with the Worries of Kids Who Have a Parent with TBI
Psychologists have effective strategies like the "Worry Worm Box" to help young children deal with their anxieties about their injured parent.
Children with a Brain Injured Parent Want Honesty, Inclusion
Parents often think that protecting their young children from the truth about a spouse's injury will spare the children. But sometimes kids imagine something far worse than reality.
How Younger Children Often React to a Parent with TBI
After a parent's injury, young children often cope and adapt by becoming clingy with other adults, acting out, or regressing developmentally. This is normal and, with help, will pass.
How Older Children Often React to a Parent with TBI
When a parent is injured, older children can react from becoming withdrawn to putting too much pressure on themselves to perform perfectly at school. But kids are resilient and, with or without support, they will bounce back.
Art Helps Psychologists Work with Kids with a Parent with TBI
Art work can help children express how they are feeling about their injured parent. In turn, the drawings can help psychologists help those kids better understand and adapt to the resulting changes in their family.
Helping Kids Bring Together the "Was" and "Is" of Life with a Parent with TBI
Through crafts, story telling, and collage making, psychologists can help kids manage the discrepancy of who their parent was before his injury, who he is now, and how those two can come together.
Why Kids Understand Ambiguous Loss Intuitively
After a parent has a brain injury, kids are often confused and will might say, "She looks like my Mom, but she doesn't act like it." "He seems half dead, and half alive." "If he's changed, do I need to change to still be close to him?"
Growing Up with Brain Injury
This is a glimpse into the life of girl whose father sustained a brain injury. Her life continues to be defined by the moment of her father's car crash — for better and for worse.
Helping Children Cope with Head Injury in the Family
Children who have a close relative, particularly a parent, with a brain injury face many challenges. Learn how children can be affected and how to help them and the adults caring for them.
Parenting Practices Affect a Child’s Recovery Post-Brain Injury
More authoritarian parenting practices led to lower adaptive functioning in children post-TBI.
No Stone Unturned
From the moment the Goldsteins adopted Bart from Korea, they pulled out all the stops to give him a good life. Especially after he sustained a severe TBI.
Learning to Let Go, Again
A day with friends on the links ended Ryan's life as he — and his family — knew it, but their life includes many more happy chapters.
When the Unthinkable Happens: Support for Siblings After a Traumatic Brain Injury Strikes a Family
Taking care of seven children when one sustains a life-threatening TBI: one mother's story.
My Child's Brain Injury: Coping with Guilt
Stop the "what ifs" and "if onlys" and take action where you can to help your child.
My Child's Brain Injury: Why Do I Feel So Sad?
"I'm so thankful she survived, but I miss the little girl who used to run and sing and dance."
Common Problems Children Have After a Traumatic Brain Injury
Learn the signs and symptoms of a concussion or brain injury so you can get the best help for your child.
How Can Physicians Best Help Families with Children with Brain Injury?
Especially with children with brain injury, health professionals need to think outside the "medical model."
My Child's Brain Injury: Family Matters
Learn about common strategies that some families use to help them feel supported and strong after one of them sustains a TBI.
Adolescents and TBI
Adolescence is a tough enough time. What happens when a brain injury is added to the mix?
Siblings of Children with TBI. What About Them?
Watch for changes in children’s behavior after a sibling is hurt.
Brain Interrupted: The Story of John's Traumatic Brain Injury
Mt. Sinai's Dr. Wayne Gordon introduces one mother's powerful story about the importance of accurate diagnosis.
The Water Giver
The story of a mother, a son, and their second chance after a brain injury.
Hold My Hand
Read how one mother found hundreds of strangers to help her care for her son with a brain injury.
How to Talk to Children About Brain Injury
Strategies to help your children understand all the changes happening after a brain injury in the family.
Children with Traumatic Brain Injury: A Parents' Guide
Learn to help your child adjust after a TBI.
Hospital Care
Unthinkable - Tips: The ICU
Having a loved one in the ICU after a brain injury can be frightening and confusing. Tips from a mother who has been there.
Living with Traumatic Brain Injury
Challenges with Acts of Daily Living After a Brain Injury
Problems with acts of daily living like dressing or washing can vary greatly and sometimes professional help is necessary.
Libby Parker: Finding Her Rhythm
In the last chapter of Naomi Parker's book about her daughter’s brain injury, Libby was starting her senior year of high school. BrainLine wanted to find out where she is now.
BrainSTARS: Social Skills
Understand that your child or student may desire friendships but lacks the skills necessary to develop and nurture them. Learn how to help.
Keep Moving Forward: Children with Brain Injuries
Learn from three children and their families who live day to day with the effects of brain injury.
Mary Walia's Story: Humor and Moxie After a Brain Injury
"I’m a young woman with a lot to give to the world, and the world has a lot to give me yet.”
When Libby Lost Her Smile
The story of a mother's relentless battle to help her daughter — in school and in life — after a brain injury.
Cracked: Recovering After Traumatic Brain Injury
One girl's "regrowth of her adolescent spirit" after a brain injury.
The Other Breakfast Club
The other breakfast club is a group of teens with traumatic brain injury who meet to help each other with their injuries.
Personal Story: Teens Talking to Teens
Meet Sabrina — a teen talking to other teens about her experience after brain injury.
The Smile on My Forehead
After her brain injury, Jennifer Mosher learned to embrace her two smiles.
A Conversation with Joan Ryan
Hear the backstory from the author of The Water Giver. A mother's love for her brain-injured son.
Online Safety for Children with LD
All children are at risk for being bullied or harassed, but for those with disabilities, bullying is more prevalent.
Being with Rachel
The story of one mother who uses stories to jumpstart her daughter's memory after a brain injury.
Physical Symptoms of Brain Injury
The Consequences of Shaken Baby Syndrome
An infant's brain is incredibly vulnerable to injury. The violent shaking of shaken baby syndrome can cause severe brain injury, disabling that child forever.
Policy
Section 504: The Law and Its Impact on Postsecondary Education
Colleges that receive federal financial assistance cannot discriminate. Learn more.
A Guide to Disability Rights Laws
Know your rights — an overview of Federal civil rights for people with disabilities.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
TBI and PTSD Often Go Hand-in-Hand
Depending on the cause of a person's brain injury like an assault or a combat injury, post-traumatic stress can also play a key role in the injury — and treatment.
Prevention
Common Pedestrian Injury Age Groups
For various reasons, discussed here, kids between 7-14 years of age and adults over 55-60 tend to get hit by cars more than other age groups.
Pedestrian Injury Prevention Is Crucial
Programs to decrease the number of kids hit by cars when walking or biking involves education, enforcement, encouragement, policy change, and more.
Learning to Cross the Street Is More Than Simple ABCs
Learning to look left, right, left is only the beginning when teaching kids a life-long habit of being a safe pedestrian.
Recovery from Concussion in Students
Here are some ways you can make sure your brain makes a full recovery after you have had a concussion.
Playground Safety
Learn how prevention can save lives and money.
Roller Sports Safety
Stats about roller sports and injury as well as prevention tips.
Equestrian Safety
Did you know that the highest proportion of injury events involving multiple injuries are due to riding animals?
Water Safety
Did you knowthat a child can drown in an inch of water? Learn how to keep safe near water.
Keeping Kids Safe ... and Stimulated
It's crucial to find a balance between keeping your child safe and allowing her to explore her world.
What Every Parent Should Know About Their Baby and Brain Injury
Babies should be treated as carefully as smartphones.
8 Top Tips for Safe Summer Sports
Eight easy ways to keep your summer adventures safe and exciting!
Shaken Baby Syndrome
Learn about shaken baby syndrome and mild traumatic brain injury in young children. New Mexico's Aging and Long-Term Services Department with funding from the State of NM and the US Health Resources and Service Administration. Used with permission.
Preventing Childhood Falls
Falls can happen fast and easily. Learn how to keep your child safe.
Preventing Injuries to Children Riding Bicycles
Helmets — and education — are crucial for keeping kids safe on bikes.
Síndrome del bebé sacudido
Aprende más sobre el síndrome del bebé sacudido, los problemas que pueden resultar de sacudir a un bebé, y la prevención de estos tipos de lesiones.
Prevention
Learn how to prevent TBI — from wearing a seatbelt to to using nonslip mats in the bathtub.
Los niños y su seguridad: al montar en bicicleta
Esta hoja informativa ofrece consejos para montar bicicleta de forma segura y reglas de seguridad de tráfico.
Which Helmet for Which Activity?
All helmets are not created equal. Learn what to choose to prevent head injury.
Safe ATV Operation: Frequently Asked Questions
Learn the standard guidelines, legal requirements, manufacturers' recommendations, and state regulations for ATVs.
Violence Prevention Tips
You can never be too careful. Information about shaken baby syndrome, elder abuse, youth violence, and more.
School Issues
School-Based Plan for Student Support
Proper rest and any needed accommodations at school are necessary for recovery during the first 6-8 weeks after a concussion.
Accommodations Guide for Students with Brain Injury
A brain injury can often harm a student's important academic abilities like reading, arithmetic reasoning, vocabulary, writing, and spelling. Learn what accommodations are available in school to help.
Identifying a TBI: A Teacher's Role
Teachers are often the first to notice that something may be wrong with a student from a hit during sports.
Simple Ways to Help Your Child Succeed in School After a TBI
Simple strategies like keeping a set of books at school and another at home can make an enormous difference for your child at school with a TBI.
Returning to School After TBI
You know your child best. Parental involvement is crucial for a child with TBI returning to school.
Effective Instruction: Optimizing Outcomes Following ABI
Learn how systematic instruction can make all the difference for students — and adults — with brain injury.
Tools and Resources for Educators Working with Kids with TBI
Learn about the tools out there — from traumatic brain injury 101-type information to specifics on how to develop a student's individualized education plan.
Recognizing a Child's Early TBI Later in the Classroom
Sometimes problems don't surface until elementary school for kids who sustain a TBI early in childhood.
Learn How to Be a Proactive Advocate for Your Child
Working in collaboration with your child's school and communicating clearly and calmly with teachers and administrators are two crucial strategies.
School-Based Assessment of Executive Functions
Learn why assessing a student should never rely on a single test or measure.
What is Needed for a TBI School Evaluation and Who Should Evaluate?
Learn what a TBI school evaluation entails — from pre-injury performance to psychosocial assessments.
Back to School After a Concussion
Addressing cognitive, academic, or behavioral issues in students with TBI early will help with school success.
Challenges for Students Following Brain Injury
Learn what problems can affect student with TBI — from issues with perceptual motor skills to problems with communication.
Reentry to School After a Concussion or Closed Brain Injury
Students returning to school after a TBI need formal and consistent tracking.
What Schools Need to Know About Children with Brain Injury
Children spend about six hours a day at school. Educating teachers about a child's need after TBI is crucial.
Students with TBI: Learn About the IEP/504
Know your rights as a student with a TBI; schools have systems in place to help.
Recurrent Issues for Parents of Students with TBI
It's a cliché, but knowledge is power. Learn what you need to know to help your child in school.
Common Classroom Issues of Students with TBI
TBI-related problems in school can range from word-retrieval difficulties to impulsivity.
Targeting Teachers in Treating Brain Injury in Children
Ninety-nine percent of services kids will need after a TBI will be in the school setting. Teachers are key.
Is Your Child the Class Troublemaker or Does He Have a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Medication intervention in pediatric brain injury is complex and controversial. Learn more.
Heads Up to Schools: Know Your ABCs — for Teachers, Counselors, and School Professionals
Learn your Concussion ABCs.
Heads Up to Schools: Know Your ABCs — for School Nurses
For school nurses, know your Concussion ABCs.
Transitioning Back to School After a TBI
Laws and services available to help your child return to school.
Helping Your Child Return to School Successfully
Your child may be entitled to certain services and supports.
Working with Schools
Build a strong family-school connection.
Parents’ Guide to the Transition of Their Adult Child to College, Career, and Community
Help your child return to school and life after brain injury.
What Is the Situation for Children with TBI?
The effects of TBI on children differ from the effects on injured adults.
Teaching Techniques
Find out what studies show about teaching strategies for children TBI.
General Information for Parents and Educators on TBI
Must-know information for parents and educators.
Medical Complications from TBI
The body almost always heals faster than the brain after injury.
If You Suspect a Student Has a TBI
Does your student get lost changing tasks in the classroom? Does he show signs of fatigue or irritability? Learn what signs can indicate a TBI.
Feeling Safe at School: How New Technologies Can Help
Social and emotional conditions at school are crucial, especially for kids with brain injury or other disabilities.
Classroom Interventions for Students with Traumatic Brain Injuries
There is a lot to know about helping children with TBI successfully return to the classroom.
Integration of Neuropsychology in Educational Planning Following Traumatic Brain Injury
Educators need to know what to look for and how to help students with TBI.
Traumatic Brain Injury: Perspectives from Educational Professionals
Learning to live with neurological deficits.
The Great Leap Forward: Transitioning into the Adult World
Learn about services to support students with TBI before and after they leave public school.
A Student's Guide to the IEP
It's your education; be part of its planning after a brain injury.
Speech & Language Therapy
Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury
The effects of a TBI in childhood are not fully realized right away and, in fact, new challenges can emerge after the individual has become an adult.
Creative Community Involvement to Prevent TBI
Learn how one SLP uses melons, swim caps, and brain-shaped chocolates to teach kids how to prevent a TBI and all the communication problems that can come with one.
Sports Injuries
Weighing the Risks and Benefits of Youth Sports
The benefit of sports for kids far outweigh the risks, especially if athletes, coaches, and parents realize sports are for fun and health, they are not a career.
One Key Action Parents Can Take to Keep Their Young Athletes Safe
From bike to football helmets, parents should check their children's sports equipment each year to make sure it its properly and meets current safety standards.
Keeping Youth Athletes Safe Whether on Rural or Urban Team Sidelines
Not every team has a medical expert or athletic trainer on the sidelines to test players after a suspected concussion. But there are simple guidelines and resources to help.
30 Second Message to Help Prevent Sports-Related Brain Injury
Tell young athletes to keep an eye on their teammates. If a player seems impaired from a head to the head, they need to speak up to get that teammate safely off the field.
The Next Big Steps to Help Prevent Sports-Related Concussions
Christopher Nowinski explains that big concussions in sports are finally being appropriately diagnosed, but 80-95% of the "littler" ones are still going undiagnosed.
No Need to Subject Kids to Repetitive Brain Trauma in Sports
Until contact sports are safer, Chris Nowinski would hold off as long as possible before letting his future children play games where repetitive brain trauma is commonplace.
More Findings About Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
There are limits to how many times a baseball player can throw a ball before he wears out his shoulder, but there are no limits to how many times an athlete can get hit in the head without permanent damage.
Christopher Nowinski on the Nuances of Brain Injury in Children
Research shows that brain injury in children is far worse than in adults — with longer recovery time and greater future risk. New rules and awareness are helping but there's more work to be done.
Head Games, the Film
A powerful documentary that explores the question, “How much of you are you willing to lose for a game?”
First On-Field Soccer Impact Study
Collisions. Headers. Goalpost run-ins. What contributes most to the frequency of concussions in the soccer, particularly among young girls?
Being Strict with Return-to-Play Guidelines
An athlete should never be returned to play after a concussion until all symptoms have been resolved and he or she has been cleared by a licensed provider.
High Index of Concussion Suspicion Needed on the Sidelines
Concussions can be subtle and often invisible. That's why coaches, parents, and teammates need to have a high index of suspicion.
Dr. Julian Bailes: Should We Be Worried About Subconcussive Blows in Sports?
More research is needed to determine if subconcussive blows — repetitive hits to the head not diagnosed or suspected as concussions — are deleterious.
Dr. Julian Bailes: The Pros of Contact Sports
Kids should play contact sports for many positive reasons but not if the kid has had three or more concussions.
Tracy's Story: The End of an Athlete's Career
"If you think you have a concussion, don't hide it, report it ... I didn't know it could get this bad."
A Mother's Intuition
After her son sustained a TBI while playing football, one mother took the ball and ran with it to raise awareness.
How Many Concussions Are Too Many for a Young Athlete?
Err on the side of caution; “when in doubt, sit it out.”
REAP the Benefits of Good Concussion Management
A guide for every family, school, and medical professional to create a community-based concussion management program.
The CDC's Heads Up! Toolkits
Free for teachers, parents, coaches, and kids, learn about the CDC's Heads Up! toolkits.
Professional and Youth Sports Leagues Work Together for Safety
Many professional sports have supportive alliances with youth sports. Learn how the CDC helps.
Recommendations for Young Athletes
Youth athletes need to be removed from play and evaluated by a TBI specialist after a hit to the head.
Making Kids' Sports Safer
Blatant hits and fouls are not necessary in kids' sports; rule changes could make sports safer.
Return to Play Guidelines
An athlete should not return to play until all of his symptoms — physical and cognitive — have cleared up.
Should You Let Your Child Play Contact Sports?
A doctor/parent talks about trying to find a balance between the benefits and dangers of letting his children play contact sports.
Sports and Concussion: “When in Doubt, Sit It Out”
Suggestions for keeping young athletes safe in games where helmets are not required.
Opinion: Surgeon Tackles Brain Injury in Youth Sports
Would you let your young kids play contact sports? Read what one father/pediatric neurosurgeon has to say about sports concussions.
ACTive: Free Concussion Training for Sports Coaches
An indispensable and absolutely must-use tool for all coaches — from peewee to pro sports.
How Can Parents Help Educate Their Children’s Coaches About Concussion?
Don’t worry about seeming like an overprotective mom or dad … share your knowledge and keep your child safe on and off the field.
Why Is It So Hard to Keep Cheerleaders Safe?
Cheerleading is a real sport with real injuries — like brain injuries. It's time to take notice.
Concussion and Sports: Know Your Game!
Concussions are like snowflakes — not one is exactly like another.
Concussions: Is Your Young Athlete at Risk?
Learn why letting a child return to play after a concussion can be extremely dangerous.
Head Games
America's favorite sport — football — has a serious problem.
Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports
This toolkit teaches coaches, athletes, and parents how to play it safe.
Atención: Concusión cerebral en los deportes de colegio (para el atleta)
La conmoción cerebral puede ocurrir sin que la persona pierda el conocimiento. Esta hoja informativa ofrece información a los atletas sobre prevención, reconocimiento y reacción frente a una conmoción.
ATV Safety Fact Sheet
These 600+-lb. vehicles can be fun, but dangerous. Learn more.
Substance Abuse
One Bad Decision
Michael Nepola was loving life as a high school kid. Then he made one bad decision: to drink and drive. Telling his story, he beseeches people not to make the same mistake he did.
One Bad Decision
"Don't let this happen to you" — Watch one young man's story of his brain injury.
Thinking / Cognitive Symptoms
BrainSTARS: Mental Flexibility
A child who is not mentally flexible has trouble responding appropriately to changes in routine. Here are some options for success.
BrainSTARS: Initiation
When a student has trouble putting his thoughts into action he is probably not “unmotivated,” “disinterested,” or “lazy.”
BrainSTARS: Praxis
People with "praxis" means having difficulty with active motor planning. Motor sequences, which were once automatic, need to be relearned.
BrainSTARS: Expressive Language
Children with expressive language difficulties need help participating in social and academic activities. Learn more.
BrainSTARS: Non-Verbal Learning
Children with a nonverbal learning disorder lacks ability to learn and generalize from everyday experiences. Learn more.
BrainSTARS: Attention
Remember that your child or student does not choose to not pay attention. Here are tips for parents and teachers to help.
BrainSTARS: Word Retrieval
Learn how to help students with brain injury find the words they are looking for — at home and at school.
BrainSTARS: Judgement
Poor judgement is a result of thinking problems, and is not intentional.
BrainSTARS: Mental Processing Speed
Accommodate a child with TBI's slow mental processing with environmental supports. You will see the difference!
BrainSTARS: New Learning
Use classroom performance, not global scores on intelligence and achievement testing, as your guide to instructional objectives and modifications for kids with TBI.
BrainSTARS
BrainSTARS offers many short articles for teachers and parents to help their child make the leap back into life following a brain injury.
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