This document provides 10 tips PWBI can use to advocate for themselves in everyday life situations.

This article explores the unique issues around brain injury and behavior.

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This tip card provides information on one of the most unrecognized consequences of domestic violence: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Education accommodation is any change or adjustment to required tasks or the classroom that allows students with disabilities to have an equal opportunity to experience education just like other students.

The five dimensions of TBI-related irritability: affective, behavioral, cognitive/perceptual, relational, and environmental.

Brain injury is confusing to people who don’t have one. Here are a few things you might find yourself saying that are probably not helpful.

Provides quick facts on what a concussion is, the symptoms, and the recovery.

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The potential for a concussion is greatest during activities where collisions can occur, such as during physical education (PE) class, playground time, or school-based sports activities. Teachers and school counselors may be the first to notice changes in their students.

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One of the most time-consuming and stressful tasks as a caregiver is managing multiple medications and supplements.

An alphabetical list of tips and action steps for caregivers of someone with a brain injury.

JAN’s Accommodation and Compliance Series is designed to help employers determine effective accommodations and comply with Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

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This handout explains different Medicaid Waivers, the screening process and how to apply.

Common changes in emotion after a TBI are anger and depression.

The most common signs, triggers, and coping strategies for anger.

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3 in 4 older adults take at least 1 medicine commonly linked to falls or car crashes. Older adults (65 years and older) are at a greater risk if they use any medicine with side effects that can cause problems with how they think and remember, and the way their bodies perform.

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Ideas, activities, and strategies for improving cognition, including memory, problem-solving, orientation, organization, and reasoning.

People who have sustained a brain injury may not immediately recognize that their ability to concentrate has changed, which can lead to misunderstandings when others perceive an inability to concentrate as a lack of intelligence or motivation.

The nature and frequency of attention lapses following a TBI can regularly disrupt daily activities at home, work, and in the community. This research brief provides an overview of attention challenges following TBI and treatment approaches for managing these challenges.

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This handout explains possible behavior changes after TBI, why they happen, and how to deal with behavior issues.

From budgeting and paying bills to making sure housing is safe and accessible, there is a lot to consider when finding and securing housing. Locating affordable, stable housing is difficult, and wait lists are long across the state; if someone requires supervision or daily assistance with self-care or household tasks, those places can be even harder to come by. There are resources available, and this Quick Guide tells you how to get started and where to find help.

The brain can be hurt in many different ways: falls, sports, car accidents, assaults, strokes, and brain tumors are some of the most common types of injuries. Brain injuries can be either traumatic or non-traumatic, but can cause similar problems in a person’s life.

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Provides information about brain injuries (BI) in young children and how to decrease the risk, and protect children from BI.

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Brain maps show the inner workings of the brain and how it is able to transmit information. They can be used to study neurological disorders and inform better diagnostic and treatment procedures.

Everyone knows that breathing is an essential part of life, but did you know that breathing plays an essential role in anxiety? This information sheet will briefly discuss the role of breathing in anxiety and guide you through a simple breathing retraining technique that uses breathing patterns to help deal with anxiety.

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Rocket Blades is a mobile game app developed by the Centers for Disease Control and …

This checklist is a tool to help people with brain injuries prepare for a visit with their doctor to help them better understand the problems that can occur after an injury.

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Clinical trials are research studies in which people may volunteer to participate. The following information offers suggestions for searching for clinical trials and a listing of a sample of clinical trials currently recruiting volunteers.

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After a TBI it is common for people to have problems with attention, concentration, speech and language, learning and memory, reasoning, planning and problem-solving.

Vestibular disorders can affect your ability to think, specifically to pay attention and concentrate, to remember, to reason, and to problem solve. Often times, you may find you are easily distracted, both by external stimuli (others talking, TV) and by internal stimuli (your thoughts and feelings).

Following a concussion, there is often an interruption in communication between the eyes and the …

A brain injury can affect a person’s ability to communicate by impairing their hearing, speech …

Tips for improving communication between family caregivers and healthcare professionals.

This handout provides tips for improving communication between family, caregivers and healthcare professionals.

Are you drained, tapped out, have little energy to give others? We have all been there.

This article explains what compassion fatigue is, and ways that caregivers/family can manage it.

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Concussions are often described as “mild,” but their affects can still be serious and impact …

Concussion recovery is a complex process and can be influenced by individual actions. Knowing what …

This Concussion Booklet was created to give you the information you need to know to …

Summarizes symptoms of a concussion, special considerations for the elderly, and information on recovery.

Recognizing concussions in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities requires a different approach. Current concussion …

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Following a life-changing event like a brain injury, it’s normal to feel intense stress which can build up and lead to anxiety. Anxiety becomes a significant concern when these feelings intensify to a point where they interfere with the tasks of life.

This fact sheet will help couples understand some of the common changes they may notice in their relationship after TBI. Also, suggestions are given on how couples can address some of the more difficult changes they are experiencing.

This handout provides general tips that individuals, families and caregivers can use when dealing with COVID-related anxiety and a brain injury.

Feeling sad is a normal response to the losses and changes a person faces after TBI. There is cause for concern when feeling depressed or losing interest in usual activities occurs at least several days per week and lasts for more than two weeks.

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This handout provides information for parents/caregivers about the early stages of a child’s brain injury, things to do during the recovery process, and what to be aware of in the months ahead.

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This comic strip explains common emotional changes following a TBI and how to seek help.

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This guide is a resource for individuals with brain injury to be fully participating members on a board.

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Life after a brain injury can be overwhelming for both the survivor and family members. Counseling is simply another form of therapy that helps people recover and adjust emotionally after their accident.

This systematic review has highlighted the complexities of caring for patients with a prolonged DoC (i.e., lasting 28 days or longer) at every stage. Accurate diagnosis is important to educate families about patients’ level of consciousness and function, to inform prognostic counseling, and to guide treatment decisions.

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A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a bump, blow, …

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Fatigue is a very common outcome after acquiring a brain injury due to the many tiny sites of damage throughout the brain. It is different to the yawning and sleepy feeling of normal fatigue.

Fatigue is a very common problem among all people with TBI. Studies of people with TBI found that between 37% and 98% of them said they had some kind of fatigue.

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Searching for scholarships for a student with a brain injury may feel overwhelming. The Brain Injury Association developed this resource to assist students and parents in their search.

This article outlines the different financial resources, benefits and entitlements that may be available for individuals with brain injury and their family.

After an injury or illness that affects the brain, people are commonly referred for neuropsychological evaluation. The purpose of this booklet is to provide answers to the most common questions people have about neuropsychological evaluation.

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Strategies for when you feel like you can’t get organized and keep track of your life.

List of commonly used terms to help individuals and family members better understand brain-injury related terms.

This guideline can be used by patients when speaking with healthcare providers about their care. …

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A brain injury can damage both mechanical and neurological processes and result in a variety of hearing difficulties. Accurate diagnosis and treatment are essential.

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This article provides tips for dealing with the family changes and guilt that can occur when a child gets a brain injury.

This handout describes common concussion symptoms a child may experience, and tips parents/caregivers can use to help with their recovery.

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This article provides ways for how to assess if in-home help is needed, the types of in-home services available, and how to access the help.

Smart ways to make a home comfortable, safe and a great fit for older adults — and people of all ages.

Housing options for people with brain injury vary greatly in the amount of assistance offered. Public funding for these services are limited.

Most children with a concussion, a type of traumatic brain injury, feel better within a …

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Depending on the situation, it can be difficult to obtain medical documentation that a brain injury has occurred. When there are no medical records related to the injury that can be obtained, a structured in-depth interview can be utilized to establish a significant and credible history of TBI and document the impact most probably related to a TBI.

Finding the right home care worker for your loved one is an important step.

Describes common problems for families after a loved one experiences a brain injury. Also provides ways to manage those problems.

Lack of self-awareness is a common outcome for people who sustain brain injuries with frontal lobe damage, which can lead to unrealistic goals such as returning to work despite a severe brain injury.

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Injury to the frontal lobes after a TBI can affect the area of the brain that normally controls our impulses, which can lead to impulsive and inappropriate social behavior.

Ways to improve or maintain ability to complete important ADLs.

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MH 14 Is it a Psychiatric Disorder or TBI Medical Mimic (Psychiatric Times) …

This brief video lets family caregivers know it’s okay not to be okay and offers positive affirmations.

You and your family may need an attorney’s help navigating life after a brain injury. For most of the issues listed here, it is very important to act early. If you wait too long to take action, evidence can be harder to find and you may lose out on compensation, benefits, and appropriate care.

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Anger and irritability are common side effects of a brain injury. Here are some strategies to help reduce anger, irritation, and aggression with an acronym to help remember.

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This article provides information about controlling your anger after an injury, the dangers of anger, recognizing early warning signs for anger, and ideas about how to better control anger.

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Medicaid waivers help people with disabilities and the elderly access medical, rehabilitative, and other services in their homes and communities. Medicaid waivers allow the state to waive certain requirements, such as an individual needing to live in an institution to receive some Medicaid benefits.

This fact sheet explains memory problems that may affect people with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). By understanding the new limits on their memory and ways to help overcome those limits, people with TBI can still get things done every day.

Short-term memory loss is very common after a brain injury – thankfully there are plenty of coping strategies available. Typical situations include forgetting people’s names, losing a train of thought, getting lost at the shops, repeating or forgetting past conversations, misplacing objects and difficulty learning new skills.

The effects of brain injury and mental illness can look very similar, which is why understanding the relationship between the two is important for individuals to advocate for themselves and for medical professionals to make accurate diagnoses.

The effects of brain injury and mental illness can look very similar, which is why understanding the relationship between the two is important for individuals to advocate for themselves and for medical professionals to make accurate diagnoses.

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This handout provides strategies that other parents have used in coping with guilt from a child’s brain injury.

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Diagnosing a brain injury is not always as simple as getting a scan or picture of the brain. This is why something like a neuropsychological evaluation can help pinpoint the issues someone is having, what it causing it, and how to treat it effectively.

PH 29 Pain Dashboard (TBICDS) …

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This checklist can be used to understand the extent of an individual’s post concussion symptoms. …

Post-concussion syndrome is a complex disorder in which various symptoms — such as headaches and dizziness — last for weeks and sometimes months after the injury that caused the concussion. In most people, symptoms occur within the first seven to 10 days and go away within three months.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common after a traumatic event that leads to a brain injury (e.g. an assault, a near drowning or a motor vehicle accident). Not all people who sustain a brain injury will experience post-traumatic stress and not all people who develop post-traumatic stress will experience the same severity of symptoms.

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After a traumatic brain injury, patients can experience a variety of problems, such as the perception of time. There are steps that can be followed to help with time perception by establishing basic routines, breaking down tasks, and establishing prompts to promote accuracy with time.

Muscle relaxation can be particularly helpful in cases where anxiety is especially associated to muscle tension. This information sheet will guide you through a common form of relaxation designed to reduce muscle tension.

This guide will give you and your family helpful information about brain injury recovery. It explains how people with a brain injury recover from a cognitive and behavioral point of view.

The REAP Project which stands for Reduce – Educate – Accommodate – Pace is a …

Provides information about recognizing concussions in the elderly, steps to take, and considerations.

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Respite is an important tool to assure the primary caregiver is getting a break.

This document provides information about several respite options available in Virginia.

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This quick guide provides ways in which caregivers can promote resiliency and self-care in their own lives.

This fact sheet explains how a severe TBI affects the injured person, what to expect from a team of doctors and other health care professionals providing care, and how you can support this team and your loved one on his or her road to recovery.

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This handout provides facts about shaken baby syndrome, risk factors, prevention tips, and resources to connect with.

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This quick guide provides information about eligibility for special education services, services available, and how to apply for services.

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The following 10 rules are designed to promote successful aging in TBI survivors. They build upon the Alzheimer Association’s effort to potentially avoid Alzheimer’s disease.

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Practical Tips for Caregivers to Help Build Independence

This article provides practical tips for caregivers to release control and promote independence for their loved ones who sustained a brain injury.

There are many ways our child’s head can get hurt. Knowing the signs, symptoms, and …

A fall, a car accident, or any sort of blow or jolt to the head …

This article provides information about discussing a family member’s brain injury with a child, as well as tips to help them cope.

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This infographic provides therapeutic interventions to help support concussion management and improve recovery. Includes info on exercise therapy, manual therapy, diet and nutrition, and more.

A partnership approach can be an effective way to negotiate solutions to thinking and behavior problems. This means acting as partners in the decision-making process by working together to determine how to solve a problem.

Are you considering relocating an out-of-state older relative to Virginia? There are many things to consider and prepare for prior to a move, with added special considerations with older adults.

This handout provides information about transition services and transitioning to college.

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This comic strip explains the prevalence of headaches within the TBI population, the types of headaches, and how to manage headaches triggers using a headache diary.

This is a quick guide for parents/caregivers that provides info on what symptoms to look for, returning to school, and recovery take-aways for children who sustained a TBI.

Provides information about TBI in infants and children, and considerations for returning to school.

This comic strip explains the effects of TBI on sleep, common sleep disorders, how to get help and what that may look like, and sleep management strategies.

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Many different biological and psychosocial factors contribute to depression after TBI and basic questions remain about which treatment approaches are most effective. This summary describes findings from a systematic review conducted to evaluate the evidence supporting different treatments for depression after TBI.

This Advisory briefly summarizes key elements of TBI and describe its relevance to behavioral health, including recommendations for how behavioral health professionals can better meet the needs of patients who have a history of TBI.

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There are many types of health care professionals who specialize in different things that can be helpful for people with brain injuries so it’s important to know who and what to look for when needing treatment.

Employers are required to provide reasonable accommodation to help any employee with a disability achieve vocational success. This publication supports the intent of the law and provides employers with a guide for successful integration of employees who have brain injuries into the workplace.

This comic strip explains what a concussion looks like, how it affects the brain, the recovery process, and returning to school/play. It also includes a symptom checklist at the bottom.

A brain injury may cause different problems, depending upon which parts of the brain were damaged most. There are three general types of problems that can happen after TBI: physical, cognitive and emotional/ behavioral problems.

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This comic strip explains what a brain injury is and its effects, the rehab process, therapy, and strategies that people with a brain injury can use.

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Virginia Commonwealth University researchers are seeking adults with traumatic brain injuries to be part of a research study. We are evaluating the helpfulness of an outpatient rehabilitation program to help people adjust to having a brain injury.

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This fact sheet explains why it is important to vote. It includes tips for people with TBI on when, where, and how to vote.

Coping skills and strategies to help improve memory following concussion.

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This fact sheet is intended to help Navigators identify what issues are unique to consumers with TBI.

This handout provides common problems and solutions that some families use to help them feel supported and strong.

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Brain injury can be difficult to diagnose, but knowing how to identify and work with an individual who has sustained a brain injury can lead to a more productive relationship with them. This tip sheet is intended to offer information on screening for possible brain injury and provide strategies for engaging an individual in an appropriate plan of care.

This handout explains the developmental changes that may occur in a child following a brain injury.