Studies to support students’ return to school after a traumatic brain injury made possible by CDC grants
This content was originally authored by Galen Moller in the 10/10/19, 11/7/19, and 11/21/19 editions our Weekly Concussion Update newsletter.
There are many challenges that students must face when returning to school after a traumatic brain injury (TBI). While some programs exist to support students after their injury, many states do not offer them, and those that do have not collected much data on program outcomes or effectiveness. To address this issue, The Daily reported in October, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) gave Case Western Reserve University a four-year, $2.2 million grant to study the qualities of a good return-to-school program.
In this study, they will compare data from 308 students with TBI in Ohio who are not participating in a formal program, with data from 450 Pennsylvania students participating in BrainSTEPS, a return-to-school program recognized by the CDC as a national model for educational support and resources following an acquired brain injury. The research could improve return-to-school programs by elucidating how these programs help students. The CDC also hopes to use the research to provide national guidance to states that lack formal programs.
Washington state return-to-learn laws
While other states have return-to-learn laws that define how to support students in their return to academics after a TBI, Washington State has none. To understand why this is the case, KIRO 7 turned to Dr. Monica Vavilala, the director of Harborview Medical Center’s Injury Prevention and Research Center. Part of the problem, she said, is that the state lacks a central database for tracking concussions in schools, which is necessary for developing a comprehensive return-to-learn plan. Thus, concussion accommodations vary greatly between schools and across school districts. Some schools do not have any support programs in place, which forces students to fight for accommodations while still trying to keep up with schoolwork and recover from their injury. But Dr. Vavilala is trying to change this.
She and her team at Return to Learn Washington have already studied 118 students across five different high schools and created a pilot Return to Learn program. With a $570,000 grant from the CDC, they will be able to expand this program to 24 public high schools across the state. Vavilala says, “anybody who's a TBI champion can go through the checklist we've developed, identify the symptoms, and map those symptoms to accommodations and make those recommendations to the teacher.”
The program is currently recruiting public high schools in Washington with more than 50 students and no formal return-to-learn protocols to take place in this study. Schools that wish to apply should fill out this online survey. There is a financial incentive for participation, and school officials will receive coaching in implementing the program.