Throughout the 2010-2011 school year, we will be posting information on the educational disability of Traumatic Brain Injury or TBI.  This is a low incidence disorder, however there is a wide span of needs for studnets with a TBI making it a difficult disability area to navigate for parents and educators alike. 

For this first post on Traumatic Brain Injury, we will provide Ohio’s definition of the educational disability.  “Traumatic brain injury” (TBI) means an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force or by other medical conditions, including but not limited to stroke, anoxia, infectious disease, aneurysm, brain tumors and neurological insults resulting from medical or surgical treatments. The injury results in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment or both, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term applies to open or closed head injuries, as well as to other medical conditions that result in acquired brain injuries. The injuries result in impairments in one or more areas such as cognition; language; memory; attention; reasoning; abstract thinking; judgment; problem-solving; sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities; psychosocial behavior; physical functions; information processing; and speech. The term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or to brain injuries induced by birth trauma.

Resource: Operating Standards and Related Guidance for Ohio Educational Agencies Serving Children with Disabilities, Ohio Department of Education.