Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 5: Prepare Yourself for Help
• Method 2 of 5: Helping a Student Learn Basic Classroom Skills
• Method 3 of 5: Create a Customized Learning System for the Student
• Method 4 of 5: Creating a Positive Learning Environment
• Method 5 of 5: Working with Others to Improve Students' Classroom Experience

If a student has suffered a head injury, he or she is more likely to have difficulty learning and memorizing. However, there are ways in which you can help the student to continue their learning successfully: by helping him or her learn basic classroom skills again, by developing an individualized learning system, and by collaborating with other students who are involved in the student's life.

Steps

Method 1 of 5: Prepare Yourself for Help

1. 1 Customize your recovery expectations to provide support for your child. After a TBI (traumatic brain injury), your child will almost certainly change in some way. In severe cases, there can be big changes in your child's emotions, problem-solving skills, and memory, depending on where the injury is. Often times, your child will remember what he was like before the injury, and his failure to achieve this state again can often lead to great psychological trauma and frustration.
   • Just imagine yourself as an excellent student who just “gets” everything very quickly and socially, and then one day you wake up and find that you just can't be the same anymore.
   • It can also be difficult for family members, friends, and school staff to accept the way your children are now behaving — they may expect him or her to return to their “normal” state and be frustrated when they don't.
   • While they may not say so, this frustration is almost always noticed by children and makes them feel even worse.
   • That is why it is so important to tune in and come to terms with the fact that now a new "normal" state, and it is not bad, but simply different.
   • If you can believe it, your child will feel it and his or her self-esteem will increase.
2. 2 Write down something positive to remind yourself and your child of its possibilities. Write down, in a very positive manner, all the good things your child is currently doing successfully.
   • For example, try writing that the injury is not so serious, that there are many more things your child can do, and so on.
   • It can be easier if you write all the positive moments somewhere alone and reread them any time you feel doubtful or upset.
   • Writing these things down will make you look at them more seriously.
   • Remember, your child can sense your mood and it almost always affects him, so you can influence how he or she feels about the trauma.
3. 3 Learn as much as you can about TBI to help your child. If you don't know anything about your child's trauma, chances are you will be terrified of the situation so that you may not be able to handle it properly.
   • However, if you put in the extra effort and learn about TBI, you will realize that there will be many more positive moments in your child's life.
   • Also, by studying information about the trauma, you can educate yourself about the appropriate teaching and learning techniques that can be critical to your child's recovery.
   • There are many books and information sources on TBI, but if you want to know as much as possible, you should consult with your child's medical team.
   • Your child's medical team is experienced in helping parents and students cope with TBI, so they can tell you which sources of information will help you best in your specific situation.
4. 4 Talk to other parents to find a sense of solidarity. It can help you cope with your child's trauma by knowing that there are other people experiencing the same.
   • Talking to the parents of children with TBI can make you feel not alone, reduce your stress, and feel supported by the community.
   • Chances are, even if their children have a problem different from yours, the parents of children with TBI have the experience and knowledge that can help you cope with a situation where you worry about a certain part of your child's life.
   • A really good idea is to participate in a parental support group for children with TBI, where you will learn about teaching methods that will help your child succeed in school.
   • In addition, watching other people deal with the same problems can help you and your child feel less “special”.

Method 2 of 5: Helping a Student Learn Basic Classroom Skills

1. 1 Understand that the student may need to re-learn the skills and you should develop a curriculum for the student around those skills. After a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the student may need to relearn some of the skills. Previously, he may have been proficient in these skills, but due to a brain injury, you may have to help him learn them again.
   • Closely monitor the student's behavior and take notes of any special needs or behavioral changes. The student may appear normal to you, but there may be problems lurking here that may appear later in his life.
   • Students with a brain injury should be given more time to study. They should not be punished or scolded for not completing a task on time. They may feel depressed or anxious, so it's important to reassure them of your love and support.
2. 2 Help the student develop their ability to make eye contact. Develop the student's ability to make eye contact through direct eye contact exercises, games, and other activities.
   • One of the simplest and most effective methods of developing direct eye contact with your child is to identify their favorite picture, object or toy and then place it on the table where you can easily see it. Ask your child to look for the reflection of the object in his or her eyeball. Many children make excellent eye contact this way.
   • For very young children, a peek-a-boo game helps, which you can transform according to the age of the child.
   • Another very interesting game is peepers. Have your child look at you or any other child and then ask who blinked first.
   • As you complete any task, keep telling your child "look at me." Positively reinforce any eye contact with praise or reward.
3. 3 Work to improve the student's ability to focus. Use mindfulness exercises like play therapy or story reading exercises. For play therapy, choose a toy or a real pet that the child likes.
   • You can ask your child to brush the pet, if he has long hair, help the child to play with him, take care of him and interact with him. This greatly increases the length of time a child can concentrate on one activity.
   • Likewise, help your child listen to an audio or video story. You can also read a picture book with your child, then ask him to retell the story to you.
4. 4 Help the student stay in his place. A student with a traumatic brain injury may be hyperactive and have difficulty sitting still. In this case, positive material retention is the best option.
   • Praise your child for every positive behavior, such as sitting around the seat, placing your hand on the seat, or sitting in place for a short period of time. The child will begin to engage in seating with praise, which will encourage him to do so.
   • For some extremely hysterical, aggressive, or hyperactive children, you may want to do therapy in which the child is forcibly held in the seat. This can be done in a closed chair from which the child cannot escape. You can also physically restrain your child in the seat.
5. 5 Focus on building the learner's ability to be compliant. Teach your child to give in to your requests through reinforcement and encouragement. Determine what types of positive reinforcement work best for your child.
   • You can start helping your child develop compliance. When the child reaches a certain number of stars per week, you can give the child some tangible reinforcement such as a treat or a sticker.
   • Likewise, you can enjoy rewards such as watching TV or watching cartoons, but only if the child follows your instructions.
6. 6 Be prepared to face behavioral problems. Many children with traumatic brain injury exhibit behavioral problems during the period of rehabilitation and recovery. Sometimes these behavioral problems are caused by medications, hormonal changes, or the brain damage itself.
   • Understand that negative behavior always has a reason. For example, a child may exhibit negative behaviors (such as outbursts of anger or refusal to do what they are told) in order to gain attention, avoid memorizing a difficult task, or in response to feelings of dissatisfaction.
7. 7 Remove negative incentives and use timeouts as a way to deal with behavioral problems. Once you understand where the negative behavior came from, try to ignore the negative stimuli in order to calm the child down. If that doesn't work, you can use timeouts to tell the student what behavior is expected of them.
   • Students should be given 5 to 15 minutes to cope with their anger control and become normal.
   • Another way to deal with negativity is to simply ignore it.

Method 3 of 5: Create a Customized Learning System for the Student

1. 1 Develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for your child. Pay attention to the individual needs of the child with TBI by developing a personalized education program. This program may contain assignments for academic, social, cognitive, motor skills, and self-defense skills.
   • Children achieve and acquire certain academic skills and concepts at different ages and at different levels. Depending on the type of trauma and the child's actions, you should change the assignments accordingly.
   • Choose tasks that the child is not yet able to do, which are appropriate for his age of mental development. These skills can be accessed through various questionnaires and surveys of the child.
   • It is important that you work with the student's teachers and caregivers to create the best IEP possible.
   • Even if the process takes a little longer than you wanted or expected, remember that the most important thing is to achieve the curriculum that best suits your child and their specific needs.
   • If you rush through the process, you may end up with a curriculum that goes too fast or too slow, or uses the wrong incentives. Then you will have to go through all the trials again.
   • The goal is to encourage the student's cognitive abilities in the best and most effective way.
2. 2 Identify the student's strengths. Identify your child's strengths and work in that direction. Even after TBI, some areas of the student's memory remain strong.
   • Some learners may have good verbal skills, numeracy and math, or even storytelling. Use the skills the child is strong at to compensate for their weaknesses.
   • For example, if he or she is good at coloring, you can encourage your child to color the letters to get them to learn them.
3. 3 Divide the student's examination into small steps. Instead of asking the student to complete a huge assignment in one sitting, divide the work into many small steps. Reinforce the execution of each step. Giving a child with TBI a huge, difficult task that they cannot complete will make them feel worse.
   • Remember that progress can be slow. and the child can often forget. Be patient and repeat with your child each task in a repetitive manner until he or she fully understands it.
   • Don't force them to complete the mission as quickly as possible. Avoid negative exposure and punishment. It will only have a bad effect on the brain and will not make progress.
4. 4 Get the student to write as much as possible. Students with significant memory problems should be encouraged to write down important assignments, take notes, and also write about their behavior, feelings, and emotions.
   • Ask them to write their own autobiography. It will keep them busy and they will write valuable content that they can share and compare with everyone else.
   • It will also help them recover lost memories. The student should write down all important events as soon as they happened, before he forgets any details. This is an effective brain exercise.

Method 4 of 5: Creating a Positive Learning Environment

1. 1 Have a positive impact often. The positive effect has a beneficial effect on our brain. This motivates our brain to repeat the encouraged behavior in order to experience pleasant feelings again. A positive impact can be provided by a family member, teacher, and even the student himself.
2. 2 Allow the student to rest or go home as needed. Students with traumatic brain injury are easily fatigued and need rest. In addition, children with TBI should not be forced to stay in school as long as other students. They should be allowed to leave school early and should also be given adequate breaks throughout the day.
   • The child's physical and mental capacity may be initially limited during the recovery period, it is important to gradually increase the stay at school instead of initially imposing strict attendance and difficult assignments.
   • Do the assigned work more homely and gradually increase the difficulty level. The assessment will reveal the child's current ability and level of functioning. Plan and structure the environment accordingly.
3. 3 Create flexible hours for your student. Teachers should be less demanding. The procedure and tasks should be more flexible. There should be no time limit for such students. They should be allowed to rest many times a day and should be given a separate place to relax and revitalize.
4. 4 Allow the student to spend time frequently in their leisure time. Patients with brain injury should be allowed to spend more time at their leisure. If they enjoy watching TV, playing games, or spending time on the Internet, give them ample time for these activities. Take them to the beach, to the park or to the cinema, they should be allowed to spend as much time in entertainment as possible. Cultivate some new hobbies like gardening, hiking, painting and the like.
5. 5 Make sure the student has the ability to move if they need to. Students with TBI often have difficulty getting around. They should be allowed to sit next to the teacher in front of a few good students. They need to be given enough room to move. They also need help when they move to another class in accordance with the subject. The teacher should allow them to leave the classroom 5 minutes early in order to move to another class without problems or confusion.

Method 5 of 5: Working with Others to Improve Students' Classroom Experience

1. 1 Create a team to assess the student's ability and progress. Once a child with TBI arrives at the school environment, assessment is the first step. A team of school therapist, psychologist, behavior therapist, and physical therapist should coordinate and compare the child's grades. Common problems that occur after TBI:
   • Movement disorders, including both gross and fine motor skills.
   • Slow speed of action.
   • Cognitive impairment. For example, a child with average ability may lose cognitive skills and become mildly mentally retarded after an injury.
   • Behavior problems due to recovery, suffering from excessive pain, and difficulty adjusting to their new life.
   • Loss of memory in the form of amnesia, or loss of memories of certain events. Impairment of short-term memory and forgetfulness.
   • Lack of attention and concentration.
   • Personality changes (for example, a social child may become withdrawn).
2. 2 Ask the learning organizer for advice on how best to teach your student. Some schools have teachers who are experts in providing special education. If your child's school does not currently have such a teacher, talk to the school administration and ask them to hire a special education expert.
   • Alternatively, you may decide to send your child to another school that has the appropriate facilities and staff to cope with TBI.
3. 3 Schedule regular meetings with everyone involved in the student's education. Interventions in accordance with ongoing evaluation and assessment should be made by parents, doctors, teachers and other important people in the patient's environment. There should be regular meetings, especially between parents and teachers. Special needs, improvements and requests should be discussed. It is very important that educators interact with doctors, therapists, parents and other members of the rehabilitation team when working with the child.
   • You will get an idea about the child's current activities, home environment and chances for improvement.
   • This will give you an idea of ​​the child's progress.
   • As a teacher, you may find a problem, such as a child having difficulty with motor skills, and you can talk to a physical therapist about it and give suggestions on how to deal with it.
   • This collaborative environment will also help all team members along with their families for rehabilitation in educational institutions.
4. 4 Take the time to study the student's specific impairments. The student himself, his parents and teachers should have sufficient knowledge about traumatic brain injury. They should be encouraged to read many books and articles about TBI. They should also take the time to identify the specific symptoms associated with the child's trauma. This will enable them to deal with the problem more effectively. Some of the most common side effects of TBI include:
   • Dementia: those people who suffer from dementia as a result of brain injury show both memory problems and impaired perception. Their ability to think or reason is lost or severely impaired. Their language skills are also affected. They may even undergo personality changes. More often than not, they get worse over time. The patient may become more aggressive.
   • Retrograde amnesia: People with retrograde amnesia do not remember their past. They forget what happened to them in the past. They can still display their abilities, but the memories of their past life events are lost. They may not recognize their old friends or relatives. They may forget how the injury happened.
   • Anthrerograde amnesia: »It is more common and happens when a person cannot remember current events. A person forgets everything that has happened to him since the head injury. He may not recognize new acquaintances and he may need to resolve the issue that was resolved in the previous day.
   • Mental disorder: a clouded state in which the patient has difficulty concentrating as a result of misinterpretation, illusion and, in severe cases, hallucinations.
   • Alzheimer's Syndrome: It starts with memory problems, neglect, and significant impairment in language and communication. At a later stage, the person may not even remember their name or do simple tasks.
   • Personal problems: Damage to certain areas of the brain (frontal lobes) causes dramatic changes in personality. The person loses the ability to show appropriate emotions. He feels confused, indecisive and aggressive.