If a student has suffered from head injury (also called traumatic brain damage), they will likely have more learning and memorization difficulties. However, there are methods you can use to help the student continue their studies successfully: helping them to re-learn basic classroom skills, developing a personalized study plan and working collaboratively with others involved in the student's educational life..
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Prepare to help
Step 1. Adjust your recovery expectations to support your child
After a head injury, your child will certainly be different in one way or another. In severe cases, there can be many changes in your child's emotions, problem-solving abilities, memory, depending on where the trauma is located. Often, your child will remember what it was like before the trauma, and the inability to return to that condition again can cause great emotional trauma and frustration.
- Just imagine that you are top of the class, who learns everything quickly and is very sociable and adaptable, and then wake up one day and find that it just doesn't work the same way anymore.
- It can be difficult for family, friends and teaching staff to accept the new ways your child behaves, they may expect him to return to "normal" and be bitter when he doesn't.
- Even if they may not say it, this disappointment is often noticed by children and makes them feel even worse about themselves.
- That is why it is essential to adapt your expectations and come to terms with the fact that now there is a new "normal", which is not negative, it is just different.
- If you are the first to be able to believe this, your child will feel it and their self-esteem will be greatly boosted.
Step 2. Write down the positive things about your child's abilities to remind yourself
Write, in a very positive way, all the good things your child is enjoying now.
- For example, try writing that the trauma is not serious, and that there are many things your child can still do, etc.
- It might be easier to write down all these positive things and keep it private, and read them anytime you feel doubtful or sad.
- Having things written will make you look at them much more seriously.
- Remember, your child can perceive your state of mind, and is often influenced by it, so you can also affect the way he sees the accident.
Step 3. Learn more about TBI to best help your child
If you know nothing about your child's injury, you will likely be so scared of the situation that you cannot handle it properly.
- However, if you decide to take a step forward and read up on TBI, you will find that there are still many positive things in your baby's future.
- Additionally, by learning more about the injury, you can learn the appropriate behaviors and learning techniques, which can be crucial to your child's recovery.
- There are many books and other sources of information on head injuries, but if you want to be better informed, you should consult your child's medical staff.
- The medical staff who care for your child have the right experience to guide both parents and students in living with TBI, so they will be able to tell you what the right sources of information are most useful for your specific case..
Step 4. Talk to other parents to find solidarity
Knowing that other people are experiencing what you are experiencing can help you cope better with your baby's head injury
- Talking to other parents with children suffering from head trauma can make you feel less alone, less stressed, and even more helped by society.
- Even if their children have different problems than yours, parents of children with TBI have the experience and knowledge that can help you manage situations of concern regarding certain areas of your child's life.
- A very positive aspect of attending a support group for parents with children with TBI is that you will learn a lot about learning techniques that will help ensure that your child can study successfully.
- Also, seeing that other people are facing the same problems you are facing can make your child feel less "different" as well.
Method 2 of 5: Help the student learn basic classroom skills
Step 1. Keep in mind that the student may need to re-learn skills and that you will need to develop their curriculum from them
After a head injury, the student may need to relearn some skills. He may have been at an expert level before the trauma, but because of this you may need to help him learn them again.
- Monitor the student's behavior carefully and note any special needs or changes in behavior. The student may seem normal to you, but there are many latent problems that can manifest themselves over the years.
- Students with TBI should have more time to learn. They should not be punished or scolded for not completing their assigned tasks on time. They may feel depressed or upset, so it's important to assure them of love and support.
Step 2. Help the student develop their ability to make eye contact
Develop the student's ability to create eye contact through eye contact exercise, games or other activities.
- One of the simplest and most effective techniques for developing eye contact with your child is to identify their favorite photo, object or toy, and then place it on the table where you can easily see it. Then ask the child to look for the reflection of the object in your eyes. Many children make excellent eye contact this way.
- For every very young child, playing "cuckoo" is a useful game that you can modify according to the age of the child.
- Another interesting game is "the wink game". Ask the child to look at you or another child and ask him to recognize who winked first.
- While he is doing any task, keep saying "look at me". Use positive reinforcement for any eye contact with compliments or a treat.
Step 3. Work to increase the student's ability to pay attention
Use exercises to develop attention such as therapeutic games or story reading exercises. For therapeutic games, use a toy or pet that the child loves.
- You can ask the child to brush the pet, help him play with it, take care of it and interact. All of this greatly increases the child's attention level in a single activity.
- Similarly, help the child listen to a recorded story (audio or video). You can also read him a picture book, and then ask him to re-tell you the story.
Step 4. Help the student stay seated
A student with a head injury may be prone to hyperactivity and have difficulty sitting in his seat. In this case, positive reinforcement is the best choice
- Reward the child for any positive behavior, such as standing near the chair, putting a hand on the chair, or sitting for a short time. The child will begin to associate sitting with praise, and will be encouraged to do so.
- For some very temperamental, aggressive, or hyperactive children, you can use "holding" therapy where the child is forcibly held to sit. This can be done by using a closed chair where the child cannot escape. You can also physically hold the baby upright.
Step 5. Focus on developing the student's abilities to be submissive
Teach him to comply with your requests through reinforcement and encouragement. Identify which positive reinforcement methods work best with your child.
- You can use the stars to help your child develop compliance. When the child earns a certain number of stars per week, you can give him tangible reinforcement such as a surprise or a sticker.
- Similarly, you can use rewards such as watching TV, or a cartoon, but only if the child follows your instructions.
Step 6. Be prepared for behavioral problems
Many children with head trauma show behavioral problems during the recovery and rehabilitation phase. Sometimes these problems are caused by medications, hormonal changes, or brain damage itself.
You need to understand that negative behaviors always happen for a reason. For example, the child may exhibit negative behaviors (such as tantrums or refusing to do what they are told) in order to get attention, to avoid learning difficult things, or as a response to frustration
Step 7. Eliminate negative stimuli and use time-outs as a way to address behavioral problems
Once you understand where the behavioral problems come from, try to omit the negative stimuli in order to calm the baby. If that doesn't work, you can use time-outs to teach the student the behavior you expect.
- Students should have about 5 to 15 minutes to regain control of their anger and return to normal.
- Another way to deal with negative behaviors is to simply ignore them.
Method 3 of 5: Create a Student Special Learning System
Step 1. Develop an individual educational program for the child
Address the individual needs of the child with TBI by developing an individual educational program. This program could contain academic, social, cognitive, self-help and motor tasks.
- There are different levels and different ages at which the child acquires certain academic skills and concepts. Based on the type of brain damage and the functioning of the child, you should change the skills.
- Choose skills that the child has not yet acquired, based on his or her mental age. These tasks can be approached through various questionnaires and by observing the child.
- It is important that you work with the student's teachers and medical staff to create the best possible learning plan.
- Although the process may take a little longer than you would have liked or expected, remember that the most important thing is to reach a school program that is more suited to the child and his particular needs.
- If you rush through this process, you may have a study schedule that is too fast, too slow, or that uses the wrong stimuli. So you'll have to do it all over again.
- The goal is to encourage the student's cognitive abilities in the best and most effective way.
Step 2. Determine the student's strengths
Identify the strengths of the child and work on them. Even after the head injury, some strengths will remain so.
- Some stupid ones might be very good at verbal skills, or counting, or math, or even storytelling. Use the child's strengths to compensate for his weaknesses.
- For example, if he is good at coloring, you can motivate him to color letters so he can learn them.
Step 3. Divide the student's work into small steps
Instead of asking the student to complete a huge task at once, divide the work into many small steps. Reinforce completion with each step. Assigning any child with a TBI to a task that is too large and complicated will make them feel useless.
- Remember that progress may be slow and the baby may forget things frequently. Be patient and have the child repeat each task several times until he has fully grasped it.
- Don't force him to complete the task as soon as possible. Avoid negative reinforcement and even punishments. It can only have little impact on the brain with no progress.
Step 4. Have the student write as much as possible
Students with significant memory problems should be encouraged to write important assignments, take notes, and also to write about their behaviors, feelings and emotions.
- Ask them to write their autobiography. It will keep them busy and produce valuable content that they can share and enjoy with others.
- It will also help them recall lost memory. The student should write down all the important events in his life as they happen, before he forgets the details. This is an effective exercise for the brain.
Method 4 of 5: Create a Positive Learning Environment
Step 1. Give positive reinforcement often
Positive reinforcement has a pleasant impact on our brain. It motivates our brain to repeat the reinforced behavior to still feel the pleasant sensation. Positive reinforcement can be given by a family member, a teacher, or even by the student himself.
Step 2. Let the student rest or go home when needed
Students with head trauma can tire very easily and need rest. Hence, these children should not be forced to stay in school for a long time like other students. They should be able to leave school early and have enough breaks throughout the day.
- The physical and mental abilities and skills of a child may be limited at the beginning of the rehabilitation phase, it is important to gradually increase school participation instead of imposing regular attendance and difficult tasks from the beginning.
- Make the assigned work more homely and then increase the difficulty level. The assessment will reveal the child's current abilities and level of function. Plan and structure the environment accordingly.
Step 3. Create a flexible scheme for your student
Teachers should be less demanding. Routine and tasks should be flexible. There should be no time limits for these students. They should be allowed to rest several times a day and have a separate place to relax and calm down.
Step 4. Allow the student to participate in leisure activities often
Patients with head injuries should have free time for recreation. If they enjoy watching TV, playing video games, or spending time on the internet, give them time to enjoy these activities. Take them to the beach, park, or movie theater, they should have as much fun and joy as possible. Develop some hobbies such as gardening, walking, painting, etc.
Step 5. Make sure the student can move around when needed
Students with head trauma often have difficulty moving from one place to another. They should have a seat next to the teacher with good students next to them. They should have enough space to move around and also be helped when they change classes based on subjects. The teacher should allow them to leave the class five minutes earlier to reach the other class without difficulty or confusion.
Method 5 of 5: Work with Others to Improve the Student's Classroom Experience
Step 1. Create a team to assess the student's skills and progress
Once the child with TBI enters the school environment, evaluation is the first step. The school therapist, psychologist, behaviorist, and physical therapist should coordinate and compare the child's assessments. The usual problems noticed after a head injury include:
- Motor disabilities, including fine motor skills.
- Slow processing speed.
- The cognitive deficit. For example, a child of average intelligence could lose cognitive skills and fall into the category of mild mental retardation after injury.
- Behavioral problems caused by problems with recovery, suffer from excessive pain and have difficulty adjusting to their new life.
- Memory loss in the form of amnesia, or memory loss of certain events. Poor short-term memory and forgetfulness problems.
- Lack of attention and concentration.
- Personality changes (for example, a social child may become isolated).
Step 2. Consult a specialist educator for advice on how to best teach the student
Some schools have teachers who are experts in special education. If your child's school does not currently have such a teacher, speak to the principal and ask for an experienced support educator.
Alternatively, you can consider sending your child to another school that has adequate tools and staff trained to deal with their problems
Step 3. Schedule regular meetings with everyone involved in the student's education
Act according to the ongoing observation and evaluation that should be done by parents, doctors, teachers and other important figures in the patient's life. There should be regular meetings especially between parents and teachers. Special needs, improvements and needs should be discussed. For teachers, collaboration with doctors, therapists, parents and others from the rehabilitation team working with the child is very important.
- You will have an idea of the current functioning of the child, the environment at home and the possibilities for improvement.
- It will give you an idea of the child's progress.
- Being a teacher you may find a little deficit for example the child has difficulty with motor skills and you could talk to the physiotherapist about it and look for ways to manage the problem.
- This collaborative environment will also help team members together with the family in rehabilitation in educational settings.
Step 4. Take the time to learn about the student's specific disability
The student himself, his parents and teachers should have enough knowledge about traumatic brain injuries. They should be encouraged to read many books and articles on head injuries. They should also take the time to identify specific symptoms related to the child's injury. This will allow them to address the problem more effectively. Some of the more common side effects of head injury include:
- Dementia: People suffering from dementia as a result of brain injury show both memory and cognitive problems. Their ability to think or reason is absent or significantly impaired. Their language skills are also greatly affected. They can also undergo personality changes. Most often they get worse over time. The patient can become increasingly aggressive.
- Retrograde Amnesia: People with retrograde amnesia don't remember their past. They forget what happened to them before. These subjects may still show their skills, but have lost past memories of their life events. They are unable to recognize their past friends or relatives. They may also forget how they got injured.
- Anterograde amnesia: This is more common and occurs when the person cannot remember current events. The person forgets everything that has happened to him since the head injury. He may not recognize new acquaintances and may need to fix a problem that was solved the previous day.
- Delirium: A state of blurred consciousness in which the patient has difficulty concentrating, which results in misunderstandings, illusions and in the most serious cases, hallucinations.
- Alzheimer's disease: This begins with memory problems, attention deficit and significant impairment of language and communication properties. At the next stage, the person may not even remember their name or be unable to complete simple tasks.
- Personality Disorders: Damage to certain areas of the brain (frontal lobes), causes major changes in personality. The person loses his ability to show the appropriate emotions. He feels confused, indecisive and aggressive.
