After a Traumatic Brain Injury, behavior changes. Teachers now see a different student and it is difficult to accept that the old student is likely gone forever.
There are several cognitive and behavioral characteristics of brain injury. Depending on the severity of the brain injury, students show different changes in behavior. One student may have 4 symptoms, another may have 10. The following are likely characteristics of a brain injury.
- Structure-Dependency. The student becomes confused so easily now that structure is vital. A schedule is very important.
- Impairments in Short-Term Memory Skills. The student will now have to write everything down--schedule, due dates, details of assignments. They recover prior knowledge but not new.
- Difficulty Acquiring New Information. It is now harder to learn something new. The student may have to read something three times instead of once.
- Poor Judgment Skills. The two greatest areas of concern are driving and sexuality. These students are very likely to not think before they act in these two areas.
- Impaired Organizational Skills. Students that used to know where everything was now become students that can't find anything. Even worse, they can't remember what they need for what class are don't even look.
- Difficulty With Abstract Language. Vague questions and generalized information will not compute. Use very direct language and mean what you say without sarcasm or double meanings.
- Limited Insight Into Areas of Deficit. The student is probably not aware that things are different. He may not cooperate and say these new measures are not necessary. "I'm just fine." Very surprised at low grades.
- Difficulty Initiating or Following Through with Tasks. Knowing just where to start requires organizing thoughts. This is now difficult. And, completing a project from beginning to end is now very difficult. The student will need to write specific steps with a timeline and check daily.
- Impulsivity. The student that used to think before he spoke may now blurt out whatever comes to mind.
- Impaired Ability to Orient Oneself to Surroundings. Going from class to class may be difficult. He may not be able to remember where the pencil sharpener is in each classroom, where he is to sit, the routine each teacher has.
- Distractibility and Poor Attention to Task. Everything that happens in the room may have equal importance now. Teacher lecture, pencil dropping, the squirrel on the power line outside, someone dropping a book. The brain may not be able to filter out distractions as before.
- Decreased Academic Performance from Previous Levels. An A and B student may now become a C student and remain there. Except, they see themselves as an A/B student and don't understand why the teacher is giving lower grades.
- Emotional Liability or Mood Swings. For no apparent reason, the student may suddenly become upset, stubborn, frustrated.
- Difficulty with Emotional Understanding and Control. The student may begin crying when frustrated or say something blunt without realizing that this will hurt someone's feelings.
- Egocentricity. The student loses the ability to think how his actions affect others. It becomes all about him but not deliberately.
- Difficulty Perceiving Social Cues and Situations. The student may not be able to pick up cues that he is not wanted in this conversation or that he is expected to speak now. Everyone may expect him to pitch in and help with a project and he will need to be specifically invited. Doesn't realize people find him annoying.
- Impaired Comprehension Skills. He may need to hear it, read it, read it again before it sinks in.
- Concrete Processing Skills. Directions have to be very clear and in sequence.
- Difficulty with Auditory Comprehension. Hearing something may not work. He may need to be "shown" more than once and read material several times.
It often takes a 1-on-1 aide to evaluate the needs of a student, select the proper interventions, establish structure and reinforce new habits. A private tutor for evening homework time may also be necessary.
Read more about TBI Statistics.
Read previous articles on Educational Issues.
Copyright article 2006 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.
The copyright of the article TBI Learning Symptoms in Educational Issues is owned by Barbara Pytel. Permission to republish TBI Learning Symptoms in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
