About Traumatic Brain Injury

What is Traumatic Brain Injury?
Traumatic Brain Injury most often occurs from a head injury. Insufficient oxygen, poisoning or infection can also cause Traumatic Brain Injury. Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury include: seizures, loss of balance or coordination, difficulty with speech, limited concentration, memory loss, and loss of organizational and reasoning skills. Symptoms may lessen with time or recur episodically.

What Should the Instructor Know?
Obviously, the symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury can make learning a difficult process. The symptoms can be similar to those demonstrated by students with learning disabilities. Instructors can help the student better organize work by using more than one means to present instructions in class. Other accommodations that students with traumatic brain injury may request include:

Exam modifications - It may help the student to have untimed exams or perhaps to take the test in a separate room, free from distractions. Testing form

Time extensions - A student with Traumatic Brain Injury may benefit from having additional time to complete assignments.

Taped lectures or Note takers - The use of a recorder or a note taker may help the student who is unable to concentrate and/or organize thoughts well enough to take complete notes.

Alternative assignments - In some cases, it may be beneficial to modify the assignment to meet the limitations of the disability.

What Should the Student Know?
Disability Services can help identify and obtain the accommodations necessary for success in college.

Training in study skills is available by appointment. Students with Traumatic Brain Injury may want to begin the college experience in the START program which will teach the skills necessary to succeed in college. Additional organizational/study skills counseling is available by appointment with the Director of Disability Services.

Alternate text may be a beneficial option to the student with traumatic brain injury that finds reading especially difficult.

Note taking paper is available in the Office of Disability Services. A class volunteer can take notes in class on NCR paper. The volunteer will keep a copy and give a copy to the student with the disability, or notebook notes can be copied for the student needing assistance.

Any further assistance or accommodations needed should be discussed with Keith Drahn, Director of Disability Services, Messiah College, Box 3059 One College Ave., Grantham, PA 17027, Phone: (717) 796-5382.. Our offices are located in Hoffman 101 & 102.