Return to School Following TBI: Educational Services Received 1 Year After Injury.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Many children who experience a traumatic brain injury (TBI) return to school without receiving needed support services. OBJECTIVE: To identify services received and predictors of formal special education services (ie, Individualized Education Plan [IEP]) for students with TBI 1 year after returning to school. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 74 students with TBI recruited from children's hospitals in Colorado, Ohio, and Oregon. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of previously reported randomized control trials with surveys completed by caregivers when students returned to school (T1) and 1 year later (T2). This study reports data collected at T2. RESULTS: While 45% of students with TBI reported an IEP 1 year after returning to school, nearly 50% of students received informal or no services. Male students, those who sustained a severe TBI, and students whose parents reported domain-specific concerns were more likely to receive special education services at 1 year. In a multivariate model, sex remained the only significant predictor of IEP services at T2. CONCLUSIONS: Females and students with less severe or less visible deficits were less likely to receive special education services. While transition services may help students obtain special education for the first year after TBI, identifying students with TBI who have subtle or later-developing deficits remains a challenge.