So many events can compromise the health and well-being of our children. One such event is when a child sustains a traumatic brain injury as the result of birth trauma or later in life as a result of a playground accident, a car and truck accident, sports injury, or other trauma. If your child has suffered a concussion or more serious head injury in Connecticut, contact a Connecticut brain injury lawyer from Casper & de Toledo to schedule a consultation.
Traumatic Brain Injuries & Children | Casper & de Toledo Is Here to Help
We know that as a parent, dealing with your child sustaining a traumatic brain injury can be incredibly stressful and overwhelming. Our job is to ease some of that stress and to fight for the compensation your child needs to get his or her life back on track and plan for the future.
Brain Injury and Child Development
Brain injury in children can present difficult hurdles in obtaining developmental and educational milestones in comparison to his or her chronological peers.
Confronting the Consequences
Regardless of the circumstances of a brain injury or the age at which the injury is suffered, there are challenges that confront the family unit, not only with regard to care for the child, but also as the liaison between caregivers and teachers, as family members are relied upon to communicate issues and problems. The family often also comes under incredible stress that should be addressed, often with professional assistance.
Brain Injury and Special Education Needs
Another challenge to dealing with the aftermath of a pediatric traumatic brain injury is in the educational arena. The vast majority of children with traumatic brain injury return to the community and their previous educational environment. However, such a transition may not be smooth, depending upon the nature and severity of the traumatic brain injury. Even a brain injury categorized as a mild traumatic brain injury or a concussion can have devastating consequences to a child’s progress and performance in the classroom, as various cognitive functions may be impaired. These include but are not limited to attention, memory, concentration, processing, and behavioral skills.
The Need for Communication among All Who Guide Children with Brain Injuries
It is imperative that there be adequate communication among health care providers, parents, and school officials to identify, treat, and cope with such problems. Special academic programs may be required, and the child may be entitled to an Individual Education Plan (“IEP”) as a matter of federal law (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, also known as the “IDEA”.) The injured child may require special programs and services such as physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy; he or she may also need individualized classroom attention including an aide; teaching practices may need to be adapted; curriculum may need to be altered, and the child may be entitled to extra time to accomplish assignments and tests including standardized tests such as the SATs.
Turn to Health Care Providers for Guidance
Unfortunately, not all pediatricians are current on the recent developments in brain injury medicine.(Jtriyeva K., Feinstein R., Carmine L., “Pediatric providers’ attitudes and practices regarding concussion diagnosis and management”. Int J Adolesc Med Health, 2017). And frustratingly, schools with an obligation to provide special education services or 504 Plan Accommodations are often more interested in saving money. Also, there are state and national brain injury associations, academic advisors, lawyers who specialize in special education needs (not necessarily the same as lawyers who might handle an accident claim.) For a more expansive discussion of the subject, we recommend for your reading a very informative article entitled “Pediatric traumatic brain injury: a review of pertinent issues” written by Ronald C. Savage et al and published in the Journal Pediatric Rehabilitation, April 2005: 8(2): 92-103. This article may be available through the medical library of your local hospital or medical school.
Contact Casper & de Toledo Today
If your child has sustained a traumatic brain injury, turn to the experienced brain injury lawyers here at Casper & de Toledo. Our consultations are free, and we have extensive experience handling brain injury cases, including those that involve children. Contact us today so we can get started.
