Behavior Problems in School and Their Educational Correlates Among Children With Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract

This study examined the emotional and behavioral adjustment of children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in school and its relationship to postinjury academic performance and educational interventions. Teachers' ratings of child behavior and academic performance were collected during a prospective, longitudinal study of 53 children with severe TBI, 56 with moderate TBI, and 80 with orthopedic injuries, recruited between 6 and 12 years of age. Teachers completed ratings twice during the first year after injury and at an extended follow-up 4 years postinjury. Severe TBI was associated with an elevated rate of emotional and behavioral problems that persisted across time. Poorer adjustment predicted poorer classroom performance and an increased likelihood of educational intervention.