Using guided credible history interviews to establish special education eligibility for students with traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND: In Oregon in 2019, only 261 students were eligible for special education under the traumatic brain injury (TBI) category. Many students with TBIs are not treated by a medical provider, so the requirement for a medical statement could prevent eligible youth from receiving special education services. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated barriers to using a medical statement to establish special education eligibility for TBI, support for using a guided credible history interview (GCHI), and training needs around GCHI. RESULTS: Among participants, 84% reported difficulty obtaining a medical statement for TBI eligibility determination, and 87% favored the GCHI as an alternative, though they reported a need for training in TBI and GCHI. CONCLUSION: The results support the use of GCHI to establish special education eligibility for TBI and informed Oregon's addition of GCHI to TBI special education eligibility determination.

Stakeholder Perspectives on the School Experiences of Students With Traumatic Brain Injury: The Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Service Delivery.

BACKGROUND: For students with traumatic brain injury (TBI), the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated challenges they were already experiencing at school. METHODS: This qualitative study employed focus groups and interviews with students, parents, school, and medical personnel to explore the school experiences of students with TBI. Thematic qualitative analyses were used. RESULTS: Key themes from the analysis include (a) incidence of brain injuries decreased; (b) screen time for students with TBI exacerbated symptoms; (c) COVID protocols at school made it difficult for educators to identify and provide accommodations for students with TBI; (d) COVID protocols at school could inadvertently exacerbate mental health difficulties after a TBI; and (e) COVID-related logistics increased the time between an injury and return to school or return to play. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY: The results from this study suggest that professional development for teachers supporting students with TBI is needed, especially for online learning environments. Additionally, because mental/behavioral health concerns may arise for students with TBI in online learning environments, school health care providers can work with families to assess a student's mental health, making referrals to appropriate supports. CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant need for professional development and school-wide infrastructure supportive of students with TBI.

Management of Return to School Following Brain Injury: An Evaluation Model.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects children's ability to succeed at school. Few educators have the necessary training and knowledge needed to adequately monitor and treat students with a TBI, despite schools regularly serving as the long-term service provider. In this article, we describe a return to school model used in Oregon that implements best practices indicated by the extant literature, as well as our research protocol for evaluating this model. We discuss project aims and our planned procedures, including the measures used, our quasi-experimental design using matched controls, statistical power, and impact analyses. This project will provide the evidential base for implementation of a return to school model at scale.

A quasi-experimental study examining the effects of online traumatic brain injury professional development on educator knowledge, application, and efficacy in a practitioner setting.

Background: Each year ∼700 000 U.S. children ages 0-19 years sustain a traumatic brain injury. Children who experience brain injury are at risk for impairments in executive function, processing speed, cognition, memory, attention, and behavior which can lead to school failure. However, few teachers or other educational professionals receive training on effectively working with students who have traumatic brain injury (TBI). The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of an online traumatic brain injury professional development intervention, In the Classroom after Concussion: Best Practices for Student Success.Methods: This quasi-experimental study examined the effects of online traumatic brain injury professional development (In the Classroom after Concussion: Best Practices for Student Success) on educator knowledge, knowledge application, and self-efficacy in a practitioner setting with a sample of 81 educators from all professional backgrounds. Participants completed the pretest, accessed the In the Classroom training and posttest, and completed follow-up assessments 30 days after the posttest. Measures: (1) knowledge of effective strategies for working with students with TBI; (2) knowledge application; (3) self-efficacy in handling situations presented in text and video scenarios, and (4) a standardized measure of educator self-efficacy.Results: On the posttest assessment, educators showed significant gains in knowledge (p = 0.001, r = 0.62), knowledge application (p = 0.001, r = 0.63), and self-efficacy (p = 0.008, r = 0.29). At 30-day follow up, educators maintained significant gains in knowledge (p = 0.001, r = 0.62) and self-efficacy (p value = 0.008, r = 0.28), but not in knowledge application.Conclusion: Given the prevalence of traumatic brain injury, it is important to develop evidence-based, cost-effective approaches to knowledge transfer and exchange in traumatic brain injury professional development. In the Classroom is one such approach.Implications for rehabilitationWithout training in TBI, educators will be poorly prepared to monitor students' post-injury challenges and to address learning and behavioral challenges as they occur.Given the prevalence of TBI, it is important to develop evidence-based, cost-effective approaches to knowledge transfer and exchange in TBI professional development. In the Classroom is one such approach.

A survey of the training experiences and needs of paraprofessionals serving adults with brain injury.

Objective: To conduct a survey of the training experiences and needs of paraprofessionals (frontline staff) serving adults with moderate-severe TBI from the perspectives of four stakeholder groups: paraprofessionals, professionals, adults living with brain injury, and family members.Participants: Participants were (a) 28 paraprofessionals, (b) 45 professionals, (c) 41 adults living with brain injury, and (d) 22 family members, for a total of 136 participants.Design: We conducted an online, nationwide survey containing closed and open-ended questions. Four different versions of the survey were developed, one for each of the stakeholder groups, to capture their unique perspectives on the topic of paraprofessional training.Results: Descriptive statistics, non-parametric statistics, and qualitative, comment-based information across the four groups revealed that (a) paraprofessionals require comprehensive training to address the complex needs of persons with brain injury; (b) a range of training options and modalities is preferred; and (c) there are several challenges associated with providing paraprofessional training.Conclusions: This survey highlights the need for a comprehensive range of paraprofessional training options that address both knowledge and skill acquisition. These data have informed the development of an online, interactive training program for paraprofessionals serving this population.

Preliminary Efficacy of Online Traumatic Brain Injury Professional Development for Educators: An Exploratory Randomized Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy of an online traumatic brain injury (TBI) professional development intervention, In the Classroom After Concussion: Best Practices for Student Success. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial with a sample of 100 general educators, who were randomly assigned to the In the Classroom Web site (treatment group) or the LEARNet Web site (control group). Participants completed the pretest, accessed the In the Classroom or LEARNet site and the posttest and completed follow-up assessments 60 days after posttest. MEASURES: (1) Knowledge of effective strategies for working with students with TBI; (2) knowledge application; (3) self-efficacy in handling situations presented in text and video scenarios, and (4) a standardized self-efficacy measure. RESULTS: On the posttest assessment, In the Classroom educators showed significantly greater gains in knowledge (P < .0001, d = 1.36 [large effect]), TBI knowledge application (P = .0261, d = 0.46), and general self-efficacy (P = .0106, d = 0.39) than the LEARNet controls. In the Classroom educators maintained significant gains in knowledge (P = .001, d = 0.82) and general self-efficacy (P = .018, d = 0.38) but not in TBI knowledge application (P = .921, d = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Given the prevalence of TBI, it is important to develop evidence-based, cost-effective approaches to knowledge transfer and exchange in TBI professional development. In the Classroom is one such approach.

An international perspective on educators' perceptions of children with Traumatic Brain Injury.

BACKGROUND: Educators lack understanding of traumatic brain injury (TBI), which can lead to a lack of appropriate assessment and intervention methods for these students. OBJECTIVE(S): This qualitative study explored what experienced teachers perceive, believe, and know about pediatric TBI. METHODS: Following development of a standardized interview protocol, 46 teachers from Australia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, and the United States took part in semi-structured interviews. Topics included understanding of the effects of TBI on school performance, supporting a child with TBI in the classroom, and challenges and teaching efficacy in working with students with TBI. RESULTS: The themes we identified were: personal experience with TBI, lack of content knowledge, non-TBI-specific adaptations, collaboration with experts, need for specific training, confidence in working with students with TBI, and knowledge of students' rights to service provision. Our findings show that although teachers had little knowledge of TBI, many felt they would be able to adequately support a child with appropriate input from specialists. CONCLUSION: Teachers fill their knowledge gaps about TBI with their own personal experiences and prior information about working with students with disabilities. These findings support important implications for changes in how we educate and support teachers.

An Elongated Leading Edge Facilitates Rotation Flap Closure: In Vivo Demonstration.

BACKGROUND: Variation in the design of a rotation flap may affect wound closure tension. Lengthening the leading edge of a rotation flap has been a method of reducing the tension of closure in the primary motion. An in vitro study negating this tenant has been published. OBJECTIVE: The authors set out to design an in vivo experiment to determine if lengthening the leading edge of a rotation flap has the effect of reducing closure tension in the primary motion of the repair. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An animal study approved by Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee was undertaken in a pig model. A tension-measuring apparatus was designed using Teflon-coated wires and digital tensiometers. Rotation flaps of a standard design and with elongated leading edges were incised on the flanks of pigs under general anesthesia. Flap closure tensions were measured at points along the leading edge of the flap and in the secondary motion. RESULTS: Elongating the leading edge of a flap led to a statistically significant reduction in closure tension in the primary motion of the flap and at the flap tip. The secondary motion closure tensions were essentially unaffected. CONCLUSION: The authors confirm that elongating the leading edge of a standard rotation flap will reduce closure tension in the primary flap motion.