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Students with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) can be a result of birth difficulties, serious illness or accident. Depending on the area of the brain that has been injured, the symptoms may vary from loss of ability to speak to disabilities in memory, language, attention or emotions. However, there are several outcomes that are common for all students who have suffered traumatic brain injury. These are memory loss, lack of concentration and impairment in recognizing relevant information, Many students with TBI (especially those who have been in motor vehicle accidents) are also suffering from chronic pain.

The effects of traumatic brain injury may lessen after several years, but many symptoms can remain indefinitely, causing long-term cognitive, social or emotional difficulties. In many cases the young person who has experienced a brain injury must cope with the sudden realization that mentally they are not the same as before the injury. Depression is a common outcome for individuals who have suffered brain injury, as well as a sense of denial and inaccurate self-observation. Many of the accommodations useful for a Learning Disabled student will also apply to the student with brain injury.

Exam Accommodation

  • Students with Traumatic Brain Injury will need extra time for tests
  • Distraction-free examination setting
  • May need short breaks during testing
  • May need word list (1) to access short-term memory
  • May require exams broken into smaller pieces and be tested in units
  • May need exams (parts) scheduled at least one day apart
  • Will perform better with visual stimulus, i.e., multiple choice rather than essay exams

(1) Word List: If this accommodation is approved by the counsellor, the course instructor will be notified by phone or e-mail. It is the student's responsibility to forward the word list to the instructor for approval in sufficient time for the instructor to check, sign, and forward to the Disability Services Office for inclusion in the exam packet. Students will not be allowed to bring an unapproved word list into the examination room.