Children: What to Expect

The brain of a child is continuing to develop.  Research has shown that although a child can appear to recover more quickly from a brain injury than an adult this is not the case. A brain injury actually can have a more devastating impact on a child than an injury of the same severity on a mature adult.

Concussion in Children and Teens

New research and findings regarding pediatric concussion are being published every day.  Research is exploring why some children are able to recover from a concussion and return to a normal routine within a few weeks while others struggle with persistent symptoms for months. Research is also finding that on average females can take longer to recover than males.  More and more is being learned about long term effects of concussion on children and their developing minds. A child may seem to completely return to normal after a concussion but once they reach a new stage of development and new skills are needed, such as abstract thinking, a child may struggle due to their injury and be mistakenly labeled as  having a learning disability or emotional problem.

Below are resources to review and learn more about concussion in children including tools a parent can use to better understand appropriate care after a concussion, what type of follow up with physicians should be done and how to recognize symptoms.  

Resources:

Young Children

Unlike a traumatic brain Injury (TBI) in an adult, an injury to a child's brain affects an organ that is still developing.

Concussion

A concussion is a type of brain injury and can happen to anyone. Concussions are often
described as “mild,” but their affects can still be serious and impact an individual’s life long
after the injury.

Quick Guides

Our Quick Guides are short, simple introductions to specific topics about brain injury.

Concussion

More information about concussions.

Educator's Guide

A guide developed for school personnel.

Medicaid Waivers

Public support programs for individuals with a disability.

Special Education Services

Overview of supports in school.

Navigating Transition out of High School

Information about transitioning out of high school.

TBI in Children

Symptoms and recovery in children after a traumatic brain injury.

Mental Health and Brain Injury

The relationship between brain injury and mental health is strong, we know that sometimes brain injury is a separate issue to mental health, brain injury can lead to new mental health issues developing, and mental health issues can make brain injury symptoms worse.