WHY IS DISCIPLINE IMPORTANT FOR MANY STUDENTS AFTER TBI?
Behavioral difficulties are a common consequence of brain injury. One of the most common concerns focuses on issues of impulsiveness and risk taking as the student ages with a TBI. Students with damage to the bottom parts of their frontal lobes typically think and act impulsively much like children who experienced their TBI at a young age they often present with increasing challenges in this domain as they age. Their impulsive behavior naturally leads parents and teachers to worry about effective disciplinary practices. Students with brain injury may also behave in unacceptable ways due to other cognitive difficulties secondary to their injuries. For example, they might be rigid and /or react negatively to unexpected changes or deviations in their routines. [See Tutorial on Flexibility.] They may not be able to “read” others’ communication accurately and therefore act strangely because of misinterpretation. [See Tutorial on Social Perception.] They may have difficulty initiating behavi