TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY continued...
wrong with your child, never take no for
an answer. Fighting for him or her is the
very best gift you could ever give.
Teachers:
Know what to look for. Learn
signs of undiagnosed, closed-head TBI
and keep track of signs/symptoms that
might apply, says Galloway. Be on the
lookout for children who seem unable
to make friends, are excluded by their
peers, or struggle to keep up with the rest
of the class, despite adequate IQ levels.
If their symptoms match TBI symptoms,
talk to their parents and encourage them
to follow up with a physician. Maintain
an open dialogue with the parents.
Foster an “outcast-free” class-
room. Children who are cognitively or
behaviorally delayed due to TBI (or any
other number of conditions) may have
trouble making friends and fitting in
with their peers. As the responsible adult
in the room, make it a point to usher any
child who seems like a loner or outcast
into the group. Children with TBI can
sometimes have difficulty working in a
group, so encourage the other children
to help them be part of the team. You can
also rotate classroom seating charts so
that all children have chances to sit be-
side new people and make new friends.
Stop bullying in its tracks. Always
enforce an anti-bullying policy in your
classroom. Let everyone know that bully-
ing of any kind is not acceptable in class,
on the playground, or anywhere else. En-
courage your students to report instances
of bullying to you as well. Actively teach
kindness, empathy, and compassion.
Doctors & Psychologists:
Don’t dismiss parental observa-
tions (and resist the urge to blame
them for their child’s behavior). “I
recently attended a conference at a ma-
jor medical school, and a physician was
speaking on how to assess TBI in the
Emergency Department,” says Gallo-
way. “There was a list of medical crite-
ria to consider, but number one on the
‘What to Ignore’ list was parental obser-
vation! When parents are ignored often
enough — or worse, blamed for their
child’s failures — they’ll eventually
avoid addressing these issues of con-
cern. They’ve come to you for help so
42 WNY Family July 2019
put yourself in their shoes and keep an
open mind. Self-doubt can set in when
parents are blamed continually, and the
child pays the price.”
Don’t rush to misdiagnose TBI
as a behavior problem. The signs of
a TBI might not be the “obvious” ones
that physicians look for during an exam.
They might look like social issues, la-
ziness, or manipulation. Or they might
look like some other problem depending
on a specialist’s area of expertise. (Con-
sider the adage “When you have a ham-
mer, everything looks like a nail.”)
Offer tests to identify TBI. If a
child has received a blow to the head and
is displaying hallmark symptoms of TBI
(or even symptoms that might indicate
TBI), offer diagnostic testing sooner
than later. Luke’s TBI was eventually
diagnosed with a SPECT scan, but a CT
or MRI may also help with a diagnosis.
Remember that for treatment,
time is of the essence. The earlier the
child’s TBI is identified, the better. He or
she will then have the guided help needed
for school, and peers and family will be
taught to understand and to be a benefi-
cial support system. And while it’s never
“too late” to treat a head injury, any delay
can be damaging, so seek help as soon as
you realize there might be a problem.
Peer Groups &
Their Parents:
Challenge yourself to find empa-
thy. It is very easy to keep your child and
family away from a child who struggles
or doesn’t fit in with the popular crowd.
Galloway — who was also shunned by
other parents because of her son’s sweet
but disconnected behavior — urges all
parents to find empathy and resist the
urge to judge and avoid others. You
never truly know the struggles someone
else may be facing. Of course, keep your
family safe, but learn to differentiate be-
tween “different” and “unsafe.”
Teach your kids to be kind. Even
in an age where bullying is a hot button
issue, some children still treat other chil-
dren with shocking cruelty. Do all you
can as a parent to teach your children
about the hurtful impact of cruel words
and actions, and enforce a kindness-only
policy in your household. When your kids
learn kindness from an early age, it lasts a
lifetime and reaps many rewards in turn.
Don’t exclude your child’s peer
who is struggling. Luke was excluded
by most of his peers all throughout his
school years. In fact, he was one of only
two children not invited to a middle
school graduation party. Incidents like
this were, of course, very hurtful for Luke
and his parents. Galloway urges parents
not to let their kids ostracize any child
from group activities. If you are throw-
ing a party for your child’s whole class,
be sure to invite everyone. The same
goes for bringing cupcakes to school or
handing out Valentine’s Day cards.
Recognizing TBI for what it is — an
organic injury to the brain — and then
supporting early identification, treat-
ment, and understanding will go a long
way toward preventing the affected per-
son’s slide into unsustainability as an
adult. This will help to keep everyone
safer from the potentially impulsive and
harmful outcomes that can occur if the
condition is ignored and those affected
are isolated and abused.
Even though her own son didn’t
survive the ramifications of late-iden-
tified TBI, Galloway urges everyone
to challenge themselves to stop fearing
and punishing TBI sufferers for behav-
iors outside of their control. With raised
awareness, we can recognize TBI symp-
toms sooner, and life-saving treatment
can be offered in place of undue judg-
ment and punishment.
“Undiagnosed TBI can ruin or even
end a person’s life,” concludes Gal-
loway. “But with increased awareness
and a commitment to see TBI suffer-
ers for what they are — victims of an
organic brain illness — we can finally
stop throwing them away and instead get
them the help they need and deserve.”
Claire Galloway is the author of “A Call to
Mind: A Story of Undiagnosed Childhood
Traumatic Brain Injury.” She has been ad-
vocating for greater awareness of closed-
head traumatic brain injury in children
since 2008. She has spoken at several brain
injury conferences and to students of edu-
cation. This is her first book. She resides in
Virginia with her husband, Mark. For more
information, visit www.acalltomindtbi.com.