Brain Injury, Education, and Rehabilitation Lab

Resources

The BEaR Lab compiles resources for individuals with brain injury, families, caregivers, and educational and rehabilitation professionals. Please use these resources and share them with others! To receive updates on newly available resources, subscribe to our newsletter.

State of Maine Resources

• The Brain Injury Association of America- Maine– BIAA-ME works to increase awareness of brain injury, provide information, resources, and support for individuals who have sustained brain injuries and their families, and advocate for prevention and improved funding and services across the state of Maine. Visit their site for state-wide resources, events, and information on brain injury.
• Maine Department of Education: Concussion Management Resource Guide– The Concussion Workgroup released these resources to comply with a state law regarding management of brain injuries in school activities and athletics.
• Maine Shared Community Health Needs Assessment Report– The mission of the assessment is to create shared reports, engage and activate communities, and support data-driven health improvements for Maine people. The findings in the 2022 Maine Shared CHNA Reports show the most often identified priorities such as mental health, substance and alcohol use, access to care, and social determinants of health take on new meaning and an increased sense of urgency. All of these issues impact individuals who have experienced a brain injury and will help guide our lab’s work and engagement with the community.
• Aphasia Prevalence from Stroke-Induced and Traumatic- Brain-Injury-Induced Etiologies– Updated in 2022, this flow chart shows estimates of aphasia incidence for Maine’s adults who experienced a stroke or traumatic brain injury. Estimated childhood incidence of aphasia is listed in the footnotes. Thank you to Tom Broussard for compiling this information and reaching out to the BEaR Lab for inclusion of child data.

National Resources

• About Brain Injury: Children: What to Expect– The Brain Injury Association of America provides resources for dealing with the most common implications of brain injury in children.
• Addressing the Care Challenges of Traumatic Brain Injuries Among Patients Experiencing Homelessness– Four action steps and additional resources on serving individuals with brain injury who are also experiencing homelessness.
• Brain Injury and Child Welfare Best Practice Guide: Information and Tools for State Agencies- Information and resources to identify undiagnosed brain injuries and include accommodations that will give families the best opportunity to stay together. Additionally, this information card is available.
• Childhood Trauma, the Brain, and the Social World– We know that experiencing childhood trauma can change the functioning of a child’s brain and the way they interact socially. Individuals who have experienced childhood trauma are also at a higher risk for experiencing a brain injury. This guide focuses on mental health and how adults can support any child who has experienced trauma, applicable to those who have also experienced a brain injury.
• Children & Youth Resources– The National Association of State Head Injury Administrators has information and resources on a range of topics, from educational settings to juvenile justice systems.
• Executive Function Deficits– Clinicians working with individuals with brain injury can explore ASHA’s practice portal.
• A Guide for Educators: Brain Injuries in Children and Youth– While based in Virginia, this website provides an overview, tailored to educators, on the acute impacts of brain injury and the return-to-school process.
• Pediatric Brain Injury– A clinical outline for speech-language pathologists by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.
• School Planning and Educational Strategies Following Traumatic Brain Injury– A webinar hosted by the Center for Parent Information and Resources intended for parents, educators, and professionals.
• REAP– Concussion management resources for community-based providers
• Report to Congress on The Management of TBI in Children– The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides details on the impact of brain injury on children and families, this report has helped guide our lab’s work and goals.
• TBI ToolKit – Providing details on the mental health and physical impacts of TBI with a focus on special populations including veterans/military personnel, justice-involved individuals, and youth.
• Traumatic Brain Injury & Concussion– An overview with links to sub-sites, resources and reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Executive Function Deficits– ASHA has shared this clinical topic in the practice portal to support speech-language pathologists’ practices in individuals, including those with brain injury, who present with executive function deficits.

International Resources

• interact-ABI-lity– An Australian-based FREE program to provide information and strategies to help you interact more successfully with people with brain injury.
• IPBIS Toolbox– The toolbox, hosted by the International Paediatric Brain Injury Society (IPBIS), contains an overview of a wide range of tools and programs for use by professionals. The majority of the toolbox contents are free to use, with web addresses and/or contact details provided so that further information can be obtained.
• TBI Youth Justice– A freely available resource and toolkit for and about children and youth (up to <25 years) with TBI who intersect with the criminal justice system internationally.

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