Educational Psych question - normal question?

[BlsdMama]

So, my son had a shirt evaluation today, a couple of hours, at the local school district. It's purpose was simply to document concerns to get him passed on through for a private evaluation.

 

She did the exam solo, just Tim and herself.

 

Art the end she told me things I knew: great focus, hard worker, great attitude, fun kid. :) But she asked I'd he had ever had a brain injury to which I said no. She questioned further, " No concussions?" And I said well one suspected a few years ago. He was skate boarding on the wagon and fell off backwards. Hit his head. He threw up once, had a headache for a little while. We observed for several hours. He took it easy, next day he was fine. We had concerns before this, such as he didn't notice when things were inside out, mixed pronouns, other things. But I'm curious, is that just a standard question or wad there more there than that? She wanted to know if he hit the back of his head... I thought that was odd.

[geodob]

It's not a standard question, but it probably should be.

A hit to the back of the head, would be relevant if he has any motor difficulties?

The problem with a hit to the back of the head, and more so with the lower back of the head?

Is that it is where the brain connects to spinal column, with 31 spinal nerves passing through the region.

Where a major problem, is that their are 'bony protuberances', in this region.

When the head falls back and suddenly stops. The brain is forced against the back of the skull. Where some of these nerve fibres  can be damaged.

.

So that it useful to ask about any head/brain injury, as it could be relevant in an evaluation?  

 

[City Mouse]

I don't think that is an odd question. It is widely accepted that closed brain injuries can lead to learning problems. I would guess that he exhibited signs that were consistant with a brain injury to a specific part of the brain.

[Ravin]

It's one of those things they're only recently realizing can have significant effects down the line, especially with repeated injuries even when the child seems okay. It probably should be a standard question even if it isn't.

 

I wish we'd taken DD to the ER or urgent care when she fell from her bunk bed at 6. We probably could have gotten a full neuropsychological evaluation done and had our insurance cover it. They will do that for trauma/injury but not for just learning difficulties. Her issues with academics became apparent later, so who knows if it's related.

[PeterPan]

If you go to a neuropsych, they actually determine and put in the write-up what parts of the brain are affected.  That's why you go to a neuropsych (one who specializes in the brain) not just a regular psych.  The fact that she was picking up on the brain injury is good. Sounds like she's saying she sees symptoms that connect to one area of the brain and not an overall problem (from her comments about no issues with attention, social, etc.), so that's fabulous.  I guess that could be unnerving, coming from someone in a govt/official position, because there are other reasons kids have injuries (abuse, etc.).  She's not saying that though.  She's just catching where the brain is affected, so that's great.

[BlsdMama]

It was unnerving simply because I never considered the two could be connected, kwim?  But we were seeing some delays/learning issues even then at five so....  The fall wasn't exactly minor, but I know my Sarah had a far worse fall with really horrible symptoms.  (She ended up in the ER, vomiting and vomiting.  She was completely "out of it", acting very strangely.) She's fine.  But he's not.  It's just so ODD to think that silly fall could have affected him.  Who knows????????  Skateboarding on a wagon with wheels.  Probably not the best judgement call in the history of five year olds.  We get the first report tomorrow.  I'm a little antsy, wondering if there are greater issues than what we currently realize...........

[sbgrace]

That's interesting. My son non-special needs son had a concussion last year. The speech therapist (working on articulation) doesn't feel he recovered fully to the point he was, which bothers me. I did notice some academic things afterward, but it was hard to know if I was just paying more attention now or they were really changes. Anyway, what would a person do, though? Scary to think about. My son's injury was really doing nothing particularly dangerous. He was playing in our living room with his brother. We think he slid on a lego and must have hit his head just right on a bookshelf falling down.

[Julie of KY]

Asking about concussions, etc. should be one of many questions asked. It sounds more like she singled out that type of question.

 

From what you describe, it doesn't sound like your son had anything more than a mild concussion and I doubt that any problems found on the educational psych evaluation are related.

[MerryAtHope]

These questions were asked when we went for an eval, so they seem normal to me. Head trauma would cause issues.

[nitascool]

At 6 when my son was 1st dxed with ADHD and SPD they did not ask us about any brain injuries. At 9 when my son was dxed with PDD-NOS the Neuropsych. form asked to list all head injuries weather there was loss of consciousness and/or vomiting or not. The Neuropsych did not do a cat scan to confirm or rule out head injuries. At 10 his dx was changed to Aspergers and a cat scan was done (because of another concussion, the boy is reckless). No brain damage was found at that time... some odd white matter in the wrong place, but no brain damage.