Signs and Symptoms

How to Help and What to Do

Children and Adults:

A change in eating habits
An overall change in mood: an easy, unusual irritability; sadness
Inability to be consoled; persistent, out of the ordinary crying
Difficulty paying attention or following direction
A change in sleep patterns
Seizures (which might be difficult to detect)
Drowsiness, excessive fatigue, sleeping more than usual
Headaches
Hyperfocus that isn’t easily distracted; perseveration
Sensory overload; avoidance / discomfort
Agitation

Symptoms Affecting Learning:

Can occur years after injury is sustained
Difficulty with concentration
Problems and / or delays with information processing
Distractability (noise in classroom, etc.)
Differential between measured aptitude and failures to succeed.
Synesthesia

Family

What family members can do:

Be aware of sudden personality or behavioral changes – even if you are unaware of an injury.
Be persistent and determined in uncovering the cause of the persons sudden but lasting behavioral, social and/or educational difficulties.
Lend support and encouragement to one another while the cause is being determined.
Be proactive with the child’s pediatrician and teachers and school administrators.

Educators

Educators can help by recognizing signs and symptoms of TBI:

Lack of focus
Failure to achieve
Disparity between I.Q. and achievement
Language processing / reading
Social difficulties
Behavioral difficulties
- Impulsivity
- Agitation and Anxiety
- Disinhibition

Medical Professionals

Tune in if the parents or guardians express concerns of sudden behavioral, personality or educational changes.

Please take the parents or Guardians concerns seriously – they know the children better than anyone.

Get involved. If you notice a SUDDEN change in the child’s behavior or ability to learn, inform school administrators and contact the parents or guardians. WIth closed-head TBI, the injury can be invisible; the parent or guardian might not realize an injury occurred.

Be aware that a TBI designated as “mild” can have devastating impact on the child’s ability to process information and succeed.

Brain Interrupted