TBI is a disability that is categorized differently than most other types of disabilities such as Mental Retardation, Downs Syndrome, Autism, learning disabilities, behavioral or conduct disorders and hyperactivity because the injury was acquired. Therefore, these students have pre-injury learning and behavioral histories. Typically, TBI students’ post-injury abilities are vastly different than their pre-injury abilities. Students with TBI can usually remember what they were like prior to their brain injury. As a result, these students have an altered sense of self-perception (Glang, Singer & Todis, 1997). It is important for learning specialists to understand the differences between TBI and LD as they pertain to students’ academic abilities. Learning specialists need to understand that students with TBI are often very different from students with other kinds of special needs. Unfortunately, however, there is an enormous chance that postsecondary institutions will give standard LD accommodations to these students without taking into consideration the incomparable and inconsistent nature of brain injuries (Ruoff, 2001). While learning problems may appear similar on the surface, and similarities do exist, there are important differences in learning strategies, and these differences need to be acknowledged (American Council on Education, 1989):

• TBI is an acquired brain injury (ABI). This means the student has likely had previous successes in social and academic endeavors. However, once the student sustains a TBI his/her world drastically changes—physically, academically, socially and emotionally. A student typically has a pre-morbid self-concept of being “normal”, which can oftentimes lead to denial. The student will not associate him/herself as being disabled. This situation can ultimately cause increased frustration for the student in accepting his/her new life and deficits.

• In the initial stages of recovery there is usually a greater degree of confusion, disorientation, and disihibition that occurs than with students who have other disabilities. The problems resulting from TBI are not developmental.

• A student often shows unusual discrepancy in ability levels such as uneven cognitive deficits and inconsistent patterns of performance. These are the result of the student’s shifting neurological profile. However, improvement in a student’s performance can occur throughout his/her lifetime, which reiterates the importance of neuroplasticity in the recovery of function after TBI.

• A student can have a significant problem with generalizing, integrating and/or structuring information.

• A students may have behavioral problems such as being more impulsive, distractible, hyperactive and/or socially inappropriate.

• TBI can result in a combination of conditions that do not fall easily into concise categories of disability.

• Cognitive impairments a student experiences are the result of neurological trauma and are sometimes extreme. These impairments can impact student’s learning in various different cognitive activities: poor attention or concentration, poor retention and retrieval of information, impulsivity, poor organization of thoughts, expressions or tasks; poor initiation, slow processing and performance level; inflexibility; an inability to think or perform independently and an inability to generalize information or see pattern in processes (Cohen, 1991). In a generalized reaction to these post-traumatic impairments, the student can become overloaded, which can result in further comprehension breakdown. These sequelae are all common effects of TBI.

• A student can emotionally struggle post-trauma with deep losses—friends, life’s goals, and aspirations, etc. A student generally experiences emotional responses to their losses such as anger, depression, withdrawal, and aggression. These issues must be addressed to enhance the student’s overall well-being. Social/emotional/ behavioral problems are prevalent after TBI.

• As recovery progresses, impairments and improvements tend to fluctuate from day-to-day.

• Varying levels of memory remain intact, e.g., a student may remember some things, but forget other things.

• Although basic skills may suffer as a result of TBI, a student’s higher-level cognitive functioning typically remains intact. However, the basic skills lost after TBI do have the potential to be relearned through remediation, study skill instruction and extensive drilling. In contrast, those students who where born with (i.e., did not acquire) their cognitive disabilities have great difficulty learning information.

• Academic scores from curriculum classes are typically higher than those of cognitive scores on standardized tests.

• TBI can result in a varying range of impairment(s). For example, those students who appear to have limited physical ability may still possess strong cognitive ability, while those who have no physical limitations may possess limited cognitive ability (in other words, you can’t judge a book by its cover).

• Various characteristics of TBI can fall into a number of different disability labels and can not be categorized as one particular disability, e.g. students with physical limitations can also simultaneously have various cognitive and/or behavioral impairments.

• With sufficient neurological stimulation, recovery of function is possible after TBI. Improvements in a student’s overall performance can occur throughout his/her lifetime, which reiterates the importance of the brain’s potential for plasticity.
  
  (American Council on Education, 1989)
  
  These seventeen characteristics that differentiate students with TBI from other disabilities are important qualities to remember when working with students with TBI. As you work with these students, you need to remember the potential for neuroplasticity, which can enable a student with brain injury to overcome many of the impairments caused by the injury. Neuroplasticity is relevant in the postsecondary educational setting because it is responsible for recovery of cognitive function and learning. As you become more and more familiar with your students, you will be able to provide a more beneficial and proactive educational support so they can flourish in the postsecondary environment (thereby promoting recovery of function). It is important to keep in mind the unique characteristics and specialized needs of your students with TBI to help them succeed both in education and in life.