Students with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) experience impairments in one or more of the following areas:
- Cognition
- Speech and language
- Memory
- Attention
- Reasoning
- Judgment
- Information processing
- Abstract thinking
- Communication
- Problem solving
- Physical functions
- Executive functions (e.g., organizing, evaluating, and carrying out goal-directed activities
- Behavior
Due to the broad scope of areas of functioning affected by a TBI, a student's performance on assessment measures may be directly and negatively impacted. To minimize the potential negative effects of the disability on test performance, teachers should consider these characteristics of TBI as they plan and carry out assessments:
- varied learning rate over time
- difficulty learning new concepts and skills
- specific difficulties with memory, concentration, and attention
- an uneven skill profile, with some lower-level skills lost and higher-level skills preserved (academic scatter)
- reduced executive functions that limit the ability to identify goals, carry out plans, and anticipate events
- impaired speed of movement that affects performance on timed motor tests
- limited endurance whereby a student fatigues easily and lacks the physical stamina to sustain effort for required periods of time
- visual neglect or field cuts that result in a lack of awareness of objects on either side of the printed page
- difficulty focusing or sustaining attention
- perseveration on specific topics and/or activities.
For questions about this information, contact Sandra L. Corbett (608) 267-9181
Last updated on 6/17/2008 2:57:27 PM
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