The ABCs of Supporting Students in Schools

By Kelly Lang, BIAA Advisory Council Member

A is for Advocacy

Experiencing a brain injury is traumatic, with so many questions and not enough answers. Once it is time for your student to return to or begin school following a brain injury, learning how to advocate for their educational needs can be overwhelming. If your child was treated in an inpatient rehabilitation hospital, hopefully an educational consultant or social worker explained the process of receiving services and assisted in starting the process. It is not a quick endeavor. Paperwork must be submitted along with medical documentation. Meeting dates are set with school administrators to determine if a child meets the eligibility requirements for assistance and, if so, which plan would best serve the student’s needs.

There are two options for accommodations:

• A 504 plan ensures a child who has a disability and is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution receives accommodations that will ensure their academic success and access to the learning environment.
• The Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) provides accommodations and specialized instruction for students in grades K–12.

A second meeting is scheduled 90 days later giving the school staff time to evaluate the child’s abilities and determine the appropriate level of educational support. Appropriate educational support is a key component of the plan. If the child is 5 years old and reading and comprehending at a kindergarten level, there will be no justification for reading support. However, if the child is having difficulty reading or comprehending the information at the appropriate age level then it is deemed educationally necessary for additional support.

Parents know their children better than anyone else and must advocate for what they need and deserve. Sometimes that requires getting assistance outside of the school system through neuropsychological testing or other evaluations to demonstrate the need for additional services. Schools only provide accommodations that satisfy a student’s educational needs and, in some cases, additional services such as speech, physical, occupational therapies, and tutoring if needed.

Possible Accommodations

• Extra time on homework, quizzes, and tests
• Reduction of the number of problems to show mastery of skills (especially important in math classes)
• Preferential classroom seating
• Breaks during the day
• A quiet space to rest in case of overload, fatigue, or headaches
• Reduced fluorescent lighting
• Textbooks at home
• Note takers to reduce the need to multitask; it is difficult to focus on a lesson and take notes simultaneously
• Allow the student to audio record lectures for later review
• Provide both oral and written instructions; clarify instructions
• Provide student with an outline or study guide when available
• In grading work, reduce emphasis on spelling and grammatical errors unless it is the intent of the assignment
• If two exams are scheduled on the same day, allow student to reschedule one for another day
• Assess knowledge using multiple-choice instead of open-ended questions
• Allow student to clarify and explain responses on exams and assignments
• Permit student to keep a sheet with mathematic formulas for reference, unless memorizing the formulas is required

B is for Build Relationships and Supports

Plans are re-evaluated each year and new goals are developed to ensure progress in their academics. Parents should build a relationship with the school and include all the teachers a student encounters. It is important for everyone to have all the necessary information and tools to assist students. There are times when learning the curriculum gets more difficult. If needed, ask for another meeting to revise the accommodation(s).

When my daughter started kindergarten, I met with all her teachers, including art, music, and physical education teachers as well as the case manager to explain her injury and how it impacted her. She has an invisible injury and tends to be quiet rather than draw attention to herself. I was concerned that she would get lost in the room.

These meetings gave the teachers time to absorb information and ask questions. I was very candid and told them what to expect. I also gave them examples of what to look for when she got overwhelmed and fatigue set in, and encouraged them to reach out to me if they had any questions or needed assistance.

Some of the relationships and support systems started when she was first injured at age 3. I maintained those relationships throughout her school years and relied on their expertise when I needed help. The schools are there to assist and, in my experience, will support us when they see involved families willing to collaborate with them.

C is for Communication

I kept the communication open and would check in if I suspected there was an issue in accessing the curriculum. I also taught my daughter how she could advocate for herself. These meetings continued until she was a senior in high school.

Transitions can be hard for everyone but especially for those dealing with a brain injury. New routines, rules, and responsibilities tax our brain and it takes time to adjust. Allowing students time to learn new routines is key to success. When changing schools, ask to tour the school before the orientation day so other students are not present. It helps to have a quiet environment to learn their way around and acclimatize to the new space. Give them time to practice using a locker and walk their schedule if needed. We would do this several times until she understood the layout of the new building. Change is incredibly stressful, so minimize that anxiety and help maximize the education for the students. Students can’t learn if they are under a lot of stress.

As the student progresses to middle and high schools, there are more classroom changes and the number of teachers they encounter increases. If you do not meet them, send an email introducing yourself and encourage them to let you know if there are problems. The sooner you can solve an issue, the easier it will be for everyone involved. Later, the skills students learn advocating for themselves will be helpful for when they move on to higher education and employment.

Brain injury recovery cannot happen without significant help. We need communities surrounding us with support to keep moving forward. There will be hard days, harder than you ever imagined, but there are also days filled with much joy and happiness. Strive for those days filled with hope and laughter.

---

This article originally appeared in Volume 17, Issue 3 of THE Challenge! published in 2023.