Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI, in children aged 1-18 (sometimes younger than 12 months old) is one of the leading causes in disability and/or even death. When the traumatic brain injury occurs at this younger age range, it is called Pediatric TBI.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) "is a form of non-degenerative acquired brain injury resulting from a bump, blow, or jolt to the head (or body) or a penetrating head injury that disrupts normal brain function." The severity of TBI can be classified as mild, moderate, or severe, this depending on the nature of the injury. Pediatric TBI is an interesting and difficult condition to fully classify as a developmental disability or not, because everyone’s traumatic brain injury occurs in a different way, hence affects everyone in a different way. 

​ It’s still important to mention due to the fact that some individuals with Pediatric TBI will have lifelong effects from their brain injury, including cognitive functioning such as thinking, memory, and reasoning. In Addition, individuals with TBI can also have sensory difficulties such as sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell, as well as communication difficulties in comprehension, expression, and social inappropriateness. So, while many individuals with Pediatric TBI will fully recover from their injury, many other individuals will need lifetime support following their injury, such as special education, direct services, etc.

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537029/, https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/pediatric-traumatic-brain-injury/, https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/injury_prevention/traumatic_brain_injury/risk, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3927143/., https://www.biausa.org/public-affairs/media/true-or-false-seven-common-myths-about-brain-injury, https://www.abbott.com/corpnewsroom/diagnostics-testing/5-concussion-myths-debunked.html, https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/t/traumatic-brain-injury,https://www.brainline.org/article/what-disabilities-can-result-tbi, https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/pediatric-traumatic-brain-injury/