Head injury is one of the fastest growing types of disabilities, especially in the age range of 15 to 28 years. Over 500,000 cases are reported hospitalized each year. There is a wide range of differences in the effects of a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) on the individual, but most cases result in some type of impairment. The functions that may be affected include memory, cognitive/perceptual communication, speed of thinking, communication, spatial reasoning, conceptualization, psychosocial behaviors, motor abilities, sensory perception, and physical abilities.

Students with TBI may demonstrate one or more problem characteristics and the form may be mild, moderate, or severe

• organizing thoughts, cause-effect relationships, and problem solving
  
• processing information and word retrieving
  
• generalizing and integrating skills
  
• interacting with others
  
• compensating for memory loss

Accommodations may include the accommodations for students with learning disabilities.

There are important differences which affect the educational program of a student with an acquired head injury as compared to students with learning disabilities.

A student with a TBI may

• need established routine with step-by-step directions
  
• need books and lectures on tape
  
• need repetition or some type of reinforcement of information to be learned
  
• demonstrate poor judgement and memory problems
  
• need a tutor
  
• exhibit discrepancies in abilities such as reading comprehension at a much lower level than spelling ability