This study surveyed school-based speech language pathologists regarding their expectations for children returning to school after suffering a traumatic brain injury. Limited literature exists discussing the coordination procedures that should occur between hospital and school personnel. The survey was developed based on the existing literature and was sent to school-based speech language pathologists in the state of Indiana. A total of 38% of the surveys were completed and returned. Results of the surveys found that many of the coordination procedures in the literature were not consistently being followed. Participants who reported having experience with this population in the schools seemed more aware of the procedures that should be followed, based on their answers to the survey questions. It can be concluded, based on the results of the surveys, that increased knowledge and experience of school personnel about the effects, implications, and needs of students with traumatic brain injury would benefit children returning to the school environment after sustaining this type of injury. / Department of Speech Pathology & Audiology

The relationship between lesion volume in children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and IQ scores was investigated in this study. Participants included eight children between the ages of 8-12 years with primarily right hemisphere TBIs and 16 normals who were matched based on age and gender. Archival data employing the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - III (WISC-III) scores was the source of Verbal IQ (VIQ), Performance IQ (PIQ), and Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) scores. Severity of injury was determined using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) which was contained in the same archival database. Lesion volume was determined utilizing National Institute of Health (NIH) Image (Version 1.76) and magnetic resonance imaging scans of the injured children. The area of the lesion was outlined, using the freehand line tool, on successive slices, summed, and multiplied by the corresponding acquisition slice gap to obtain a measure of total volume. Results indicated that lesion volume does not explain a significant portion of the variance associated with TBI. Severely injured children had lower IQs than children with mild or no injury. Additionally, children with right hemisphere injuries had significantly lower VIQ, PIQ, and FSIQ scores than normals. Qualitative analyses revealed that lesion volume appears to be related to the change in IQ scores during recovery. Typically, children with larger lesions (e.g., more severe injury) had greater functional losses and had greater gains to make; therefore, they demonstrated greater changes in IQ score as compared to less severely injured children. Predicting the area of deficit based upon lesion location yielded results congruent with chance. Results appear to reinforce the complexity of TBI; no single piece of data explains a significant portion of the variance associated with this phenomenon. Future research should strive toExamine and control for the numerous factors associated with TBI (e.g., age, lesion location, lesion volume, premorbid abilities, parental education, GCS score, gender, use of standard test battery, and many others) within a single study. Efforts to provide optimal treatment and recovery of TBI patients could be informed by such research. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Thesis (Ph. D.)--York University, 2000. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 64-76). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pNQ56232.

This study utilized a mail questionnaire to survey the views of parents residing in Texas regarding the educational needs of their adolescent (ages 14-18) with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Of the 233 parents of adolescents who were reported by hospitals as recently acquitting a TBI (in 1997, 1998, or 1999) of any level severity, 79 (34%) parents responded from across the state. Surprisingly, over half (N=41) of the parents responded by indicating that their adolescent did not have a TBI. This would suggest that the attending medical professionals might not have informed the parents of the long-term effects of a mild TBI. Twenty-five parents responded to the survey and rated psychology-related and transition-related services as the most needed special education and related services for their adolescent. Services were received by 40% of the adolescents, many under categories other than TBI, and the services most frequently received as a result of the TBI were: individualized academic instruction, homebound educational services, and occupational therapy. Of the parents whose adolescent did not receive services, and occupational therapy. OF the parents whose adolescent did not receive services, 44% felt their adolescent had unmet educational needs. Parents rated the following factors as the most critical to their adolescents’ educational needs being met: level of communication between the parent and the school, the school’s flexibility with the adolescent’s rapidly changing abilities and educational needs, the sensitivity of the educator to changes int eh adolescent and family’s daily lives stemming from the TBI, the educator taking an active role in helping the child socially re-adjust, and level of communication among the educators. The findings of this study illuminate the parents’ view of special education and related service needs for adolescents with TBI. In 1990, TBI became recognized as a category under which students may be eligible to receive special education and related services as stated in the individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). However, this study’s findings reflect that, at least in the parents’ perspective, many adolescents still have unmet educational needs and the needed services are lacking. / text

The impetus behind this investigation was a little-understood syndrome of retarded language development known as developmental dysphasia. Little agreement exists with respect to the characterization of children classified dysphasic, and even less is known regarding the etiology of this problem. One theoretical position postulates a lag in the maturation of systems relevant to language acquisition. A second position is oriented toward specific deficits which impede the development of language skills in some children. An emerging theme ties the difficulties of dysphasic children to some type of cerebral dysfunction. Another issue concerns the scope of the problems of developmentally dysphasic children. The bulk of research in this area focuses on language-related measures although it has been suggested that the difficulties underlying developmental dysphasia may extend to non-language areas. The paucity of studies of non-language abilities of dysphasic children has contributed to conceptualizations of developmental dysphasia as exclusively a language-related problem. The principal aim of this investigation was to attempt to characterize children with developmental dysphasia within a neuropsychological context, evaluating the adequacy of current theories concerning the etiology of developmental dysphasia and looking at the abilities of dysphasic children in non-language areas. A group of children classified as developmentally dysphasic were compared with groups of normal and brain damaged children on measures of language (Reitan-Indiana Aphasia Screening Test), sensory-perceptual (Reitan-Klove Sensory-Perceptual Examination), and motor (Finger Oscillation Test and grip strength) abilities. A scoring procedure was designed which allowed for the qualitative evaluation of responses as they relate to the integrity of brain functions. Results indicated that children with cerebral damage perform more poorly than do control subjects on measures of normal language and sensory-perceptual and motor abilities, showing evidence of abnormalities across all areas. Children in the dysphasic group performed deficiently in the language area and had difficulties in the sensory-perceptual area. Motor performances of children in the dysphasic group, were substandard when compared to the motor abilities of normal children. These results support a theory of brain dysfunction as a contributing factor in the retarded development of language and other abilities in developmentally dysphasic children.

published_or_final_version / Surgery / Master / Master of Philosophy

In the past children and adolescents with emotional problems and/or documented evidence of brain damage have often been systematically omitted from samples used for research exploring the elusive topic of learning disabilities. Previous conceptualizations of LD and attempts to define the same may have been premature in forming these exclusionary criteria. The purpose of this study was to employ psycho-educational, neuropsychological and socio-behavioral (Conners Rating Scale) variables in determining if definable subtypes exist within a diverse population of LD and overtly brain-damaged subjects.The 95 subjects selected had been referred for neuropsychological assessment at a large Midwestern medical center. The mean age of the sample was 10.6 yrs.; mean FSIQ = 102. Medically confirmed brain damage was documented for 45% of the sample.Cluster analysis which included behavioral data revealed 4 interpretable clusters. The largest segment (51%) of learners functioned within normal limits on all measures but demonstrated relatively stronger nonverbal than verbal skills. The second group (20%) was within normal limits on all psycho-educational and behavioral measures but demonstrated marked sensory deficits. A third and much smaller group (9%) was distinguished by its younger average age, high percentage of documented brain damage (75%), and clinically elevated levels of inattentiveness. The fourth group (20%) demonstrated both the poorest VIQ and achievement scores as well as significant problems with hyperactivity, inattentiveness, and conduct disorder.For comparison a second cluster analysis based on only psycho-educational and neuropsychological variables was calculated and yielded 2 interpretable clusters. The first subtype was the younger of the 2 groups and demonstrated stronger language skills. The second subtype, the older of the two, showed stronger nonverbal skills. Neither subgroup demonstrated clinically elevated behavioral concerns. The inclusion of behavioral variables within the cluster analysis would thus seem to be an important component in subtyping of subjects with learning difficulties.In neither of the cluster solutions (including or excluding behavior) was a cluster formed consisting exclusively of either BD or LD subjects. Percentages of BD in the analysis which included behavior ranged from 36% of the subjects in Group 2 to 75% of the subjects in Group 3. These findings are supportive of those of Arffa et al. (1989) and contribute to the notion that parallels may exist in cerebral function and/or structure between the LD and BD classifications. / Department of Educational Psychology

Thesis (MHSc--Health Science) -- Auckland University of Technology, 2003. / Also held in print (251 leaves, 30 cm.) in North Shore Theses Collection (T 617.4810443083 JON).

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 90-101).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.