Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Factsheet (for Schools)

What Teachers Should Know

A severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is damage to the brain caused by an injury that changes the way the brain normally works. Concussions are sometimes called mild TBIs, and most have a temporary effect on brain function. Severe TBIs usually have longer-lasting effects.

Severe TBIs can cause temporary or permanent impairments in:

• memory and attention
• coordination, balance, and mobility
• language and communication skills
• hearing, vision, touch, smell, and taste
• emotions, resulting in depression, anxiety, aggression, poor impulse control, and personality changes

Severe TBIs can affect all aspects of students' lives, including:

• relationships with family, friends, classmates, and teachers
• how they learn and participate in classroom and extracurricular activities

Students with TBI may:

• have short- and long-term memory loss
• need frequent breaks due to inability to concentrate for long periods of time
• require seating accommodations or assistive devices in the classroom
• need help and/or extra time getting to other classes
• struggle with writing, reading, and other academic tasks they used to be able to do