Social, Health, and Academic Performance of Children With TBI Engaged in a Formal Return-to-School Support Program

Angela Ciccia, Jennifer P Lundine, Drew A Nagele, Libby Crook, Jessica Riccardi

Research output: Contribution to conferencePresentation

Abstract

Objectives
The objective of the School Transition After Traumatic Brain Injury (STATBI) project is to rigorously evaluate the impact of BrainSTEPS, a formal return-to-school (RTS) program, on academic, social, and health outcomes for students in grades K-12 who have experienced TBI of any severity, compared with students who have no formal RTS programming.
Methods
STATBI uses a mixed-methods, cohort-controlled research design. The institutional review board–approved protocol includes electronic survey administration and virtual interviews with parents and children. The data included in this presentation are cross-sectional, although the full STATBI protocol is longitudinal. Measures include standardized assessments of executive function, participation, social, and cognitive abilities, in addition to semistructured interviews with parents, students, teachers, and BrainSTEPS team members. This presentation focuses on the specific academic, social, and health functioning for 117 school-aged children and adolescents at the time of study enrollment (spring 2020-spring 2022) using the following measures: Academic (NeuroQoL Cognitive, Child Behavior Checklist School Competence, BRIEF parent), Health (PROMIS Global Health, Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory [mild TBI only], Child Health Questionnaire), and Social (NeuroQoL Social, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale is the primary outcome measure for this study and assesses all domains.
Results
Of the 117 families that completed the majority of the protocol, the median student age was 14.2 years (SD = 3.3; range, 5.49-19.32 years) at time of enrollment. Males made up 41.5% of the sample, 74% were White, 8.4% Black, 9.1% Hispanic/Latino, and 12.3% multiracial; 38% of the sample qualified for free/reduced lunch. The average age at injury was 12.3 years (SD = 4.2). The sample included students with mild (48.5%), moderate (21.6%), and severe (27.7%) TBIs. Leading injury mechanisms included sports (29.4%), falls (14.6%), and car accidents (22.8%). Nearly half (48.1%) of youth with TBI were admitted to inpatient rehabilitation, and 67.6% reported receiving hospital-to-school transition services. Data from all standardized measures detailed earlier are being analyzed for descriptive and comparative purposes and will be available at the time of this presentation.
Conclusions
The STATBI project is unique in its focus on RTS for youth with TBI, and this presentation will describe academic, social, and health functioning for a large sample of school-aged youth with TBI who participate in a formal RTS program, specifically at the time of study enrollment. Our sample includes many students who reported having mild injuries but who continued to have academic needs that warranted a referral to the BrainSTEPS program. This talk will highlight ongoing study progress and implications for those studying RTS programs for students with TBI.
Original languageAmerican English
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2022
EventNorth American Brain Injury Society Conferences - New York, NY
Duration: Sep 1 2022 → …

Conference

ConferenceNorth American Brain Injury Society Conferences
Period9/1/22 → …

Disciplines

  • Medicine and Health Sciences
  • School Psychology

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