Working with ABE Students Who Have Had a Stroke or Brain Injury Part 1 – Causes and Common Challenges of Brain Injury

Types of brain injury

An acquired brain injury is an injury to the brain that is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or due to birth trauma. An acquired brain injury can be traumatic or non traumatic.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused when an impact to the head or body causes the brain to be injured inside the skull. The most common causes of TBI are motor vehicle crashes, falls, military actions, sports and recreation injuries, workplace injuries, domestic violence, child abuse, assaults, and gunshot wounds. Mild TBIs are often known as concussions.

A non-traumatic brain injury causes damage to the brain by internal factors such as stroke; infectious disease; tumors; toxic exposures such as lead poisoning; metabolic disorders such as insulin shock; and lack of oxygen to the brain.

Effects of brain injury

The effects of brain injury are different for every individual, depending on the location of the injury in the brain, the severity of the injury, and the unique makeup of each individual’s brain. However, there are some common difficulties following a brain injury.

Physical Challenges

• Sensitivities to light, sound, or touch
• Balance or motor coordination issues
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Changes to vision and hearing
• Diminished taste and smell

Cognitive Challenges

• Attention/ concentration is the ability to maintain focus on the information necessary to learn or complete a task. Individuals may get easily distracted and have difficulty focusing, completing assignments, or switching between tasks.
• Memory is the ability to record, store, and retrieve information. Individuals may have trouble learning and remembering new concepts, schedules, rules, or deadlines.
• Organization is the ability to organize thoughts, materials, or experiences in a systematic way. Individuals may have difficulty planning, sequencing, multi-tasking, setting goals, or keeping track of appointments, papers, mail, etc.
• Processing speed is the time required to take in, understand, and respond to information. Individuals may need more time to read and understand written material, have trouble understanding what others are saying, and react slowly to changes in the environment.
• Executive function is the ability to reason, solve problems, make decisions, exercise judgement, adapt, and self-monitor. Individuals may have difficulty analyzing and evaluating information, demonstrating flexible thinking, and acting impulsively. They may be unaware of their own cognitive problems, social boundaries, and other’s feelings.
• Expressive and receptive language is the ability to use words and sentences to express ideas and to understand others. Individuals may have difficulty thinking of the right word, following conversations, staying on topic, expressing thoughts in an organized manner, understanding non-verbal communication, reading, and writing.

Emotional/ Behavioral Challenges

• Individuals may be frustrated by their life changes, feel isolated and misunderstood, be dealing with pain or fatigue, and may yell, use inappropriate language, throw objects, etc.
• Individuals may feel sadness and loss as they adjust to the reality of their brain injury. They may experience changes in sleep, appetite, concentration, and friendships.
• Individuals may feel anxious without knowing why or they may worry about making mistakes, being criticized, or mishandling life situations.
• Mood swings. Individuals may experience intense emotions very quickly or may have sudden episodes of crying or laughing which do not match how they actually feel.
• Social skills. Individuals may feel uncomfortable around others, have difficulty getting along with others, interrupt conversations, or show a lack of interest in others.

For more information about stroke and brain injury, visit the PANDA website:

https://pandamn.org/category/brain-injury/

Sources:

• Intake for ABE Students Who Have Had a Stroke or Traumatic Brain Injury (PANDA, 2020)
• Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center website
• PANDA website
• Return to Learn (Hennepin County Medical Center, 2015)
• Teaching Adult Students With Brain Injuries (Lori Leininger, PANDA)
• The Essential Brain Injury Guide (Brain Injury Association of America, 2016)