Pearson's EBP Briefs: The Effectiveness of Academic Accommodations for School-Age Students with Traumatic Brain Injury

Editor's Note: The content of this article was published by Pearson in the journal, EBP Briefs.  It is offered for CEUs through SpeechPathology.com in cooperation with Pearson.  The following supplemental materials are available for download:Learning ObjectivesAfter this course, participants will be able to identify the clinical question for an example case scenario.After this course, participants will be able to list relevant search criteria for retrieving evidence related to the clinical question.After this course, participants will be able to identify factors to consider when evaluating the evidence.After this course, participants will be able to describe a clinical decision based on the evidence analysis.Structured AbstractClinical Question: What are the evidence-based classroom accommodations for school-age students with traumatic brain injury who are struggling academically, and do they improve academic performance as compared to no classroom accommodations?Method: Literature Review Study Sources: Google Scholar, ASHA, PubMed, Academic Search PremierSearch Terms: Several different combinations of the following terms were used: traumatic brain injury, TBI, accommodations, classroom accommodations, students, and academic accommodationsNumber of Included Studies: 6Primary Results: Empirical evidence is needed regarding the effectiveness of classroom accommodations for students with TBI. Students with TBI should be included in decision making about their academic accommodations, and school professionals should implement academic and vocational goals. Educators and peers should be taught about TBI and the outcomes associated with it, as well as how students with TBI may be affected by their return to school. As they continue to recover, school professionals should assess students with TBI regularly to ensure the appropriateness of their accommodations as their educational needs change.Conclusions: There is a paucity of research regarding the efficacy of academic accommodations for school-age individuals with TBI. Many review articles and theoretical manuscripts exist; however, the effectiveness of these accommodations has largely only been examined qualitatively. There is a critical need for more evidenced-based practice in this area, particularly in the United States, as the educational system and process of special-education qualification and implementation is markedly different from that of other countries.  ...