Who doesn’t want their child to grow up strong and healthy? All parents want their children to grow up and achieve their best potential. You work hard to ensure your children are provided with every opportunity to do this. For this and many other reasons, it can be devastating when your child suffers a traumatic brain injury.
TBIs can be life altering. They can have long term effects on the lives of the children as well as their parents. A TBI could mean that your child will live a life of dependency marred by physical impairment. He may suffer learning difficulties or even have to be institutionalized. TBIs can mean financial turmoil for a family that has to deal with additional medical costs for rehabilitation and treatment of their injured child.
How TBIs Occur
TBIs are injures that result from external forces that cause the brain to move within the skull. The force may result from falling and hitting the head on the ground, motor vehicle accidents and sports injuries, among other things. Parts of the brain may be damaged resulting in various effects on the child.
The injuries may affect the child’s speech, motor skills, mental capacity or personality. Some changes however, may not be so noticeable. Subtle changes such as eating patterns or changes in writing may indicate that your child has suffered a traumatic brain injury.
Children may suffer TBIs as a result of rough play, bullying or sports. In cases where no physical signs of injury such as scars or bleeding are present, the injury may go unnoticed. Children may not mention what happened at school or on the playground. It is therefore important for parents to keep an eye out for signs of TBIs, such as dizziness, headaches and nausea.
What to do
If you suspect that your child has suffered a TBI, get your child to the doctor as soon as possible. Have the doctor run tests to determine what the nature and extent of the problem. You can have your child tested for free under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). If your child shows signs of any kind of disability, he should be eligible for free evaluation.
You can decide the next steps to take based on the results of the evaluation. You may want to opt for special education or enter your child into a rehabilitation program to help him regain his physical capabilities.
It is also important to get in touch with an experienced brain injury attorney. An attorney will help you seek compensation from the responsible party for the injuries your child has suffered.
