Event Description
FUNDAMENTALS OF
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI)
FOR SCHOOL-BASED PROFESSIONALS
A Three-Part Series for MESD Staff
1/30/26 ● 2/27/26 ● 4/10/26
8:00 AM to 10:30 AM
Part 1: TBI 101 Educators
Presented by
Melaney Grenz, CCC-SLP
Project Manager, Center on Brain Injury Research and Training
ABOUT THIS SESSION
This session offers a comprehensive overview of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its impact on children and youth. It addresses definitions and types of TBI (mild, moderate, severe), common causes, and the problem of under-identification, with attention to the heightened prevalence among students from socioeconomically disadvantaged or trauma-exposed backgrounds. The session examines behavioral, cognitive, and social-emotional challenges such as memory problems, poor impulse control, slowed processing, and difficulties with relationships. Oregon laws relevant to TBI (Max’s Law, Jenna’s Law, HB 3007) will be reviewed, along with the Immediate Temporary Accommodation Plan (ITAP) process for supporting students after an injury. Finally, Return-to-School and Return-to-Learn principles will be outlined, with practical resources from CBIRT and other sources to guide school-based professionals in providing effective support.
Part 2: Trauma, Justice-Involved Youth, and TBI
February 27, 2026, 8:00 AM to 10:30 AM
Presented by
Melissa McCart, Ed.D
Director, Center on Brain Injury Research and Training
ABOUT THIS SESSION
This session examines the intersection of traumatic brain injury (TBI), trauma, and justice involvement in youth, with attention to the unique vulnerabilities of students in special day programs and alternative settings. Research shows that a strikingly high percentage of justice-involved youth have diagnosed or undiagnosed TBIs, yet their difficulties are often misinterpreted as willful misconduct rather than the neurological effects of injury combined with trauma. Symptoms such as impulsivity, poor emotional regulation, slowed processing, and difficulty reading cues frequently overlap with trauma-related behaviors like hypervigilance and mistrust, creating profiles that may appear defiant or dangerous when they are in fact the result of invisible injuries. The session highlights how trauma increases the risk of TBI, how TBI increases vulnerability to further trauma, and how systemic blind spots for students from disadvantaged backgrounds contribute to cycles of exclusion and justice involvement. By reframing these students through a TBI and trauma lens, educators and paraeducators can better recognize the root causes of behavior, reduce stigma, and identify needs that are too often overlooked.
Part 3: TBI and Practical Classroom Tools and Strategies
April 10, 2026, 8:00 AM to 10:30 AM
Presented by
Brad Hendershott, M.S. SLP, TBI Liaison, Licensed Autism Specialist
Administrator, Columbia Regional Inclusive Services
ABOUT THIS SESSION
This session focuses on practical strategies for supporting students with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in school settings, beginning with general approaches and then addressing students with more complex needs. General strategies will emphasize ways to improve access to learning, such as extended time, simplified instructions, structured routines, repetition, and the use of visual supports and assistive technology. Behavioral and social-emotional supports will include embedding social-emotional learning, restorative practices, and positive behavior interventions to strengthen self-regulation and peer relationships. The session will then turn to students with TBI and moderate to severe intellectual disabilities or multiple disabilities, highlighting the importance of individualized, functional learning goals, sensory-rich instruction, augmentative communication supports, and targeted behavior and sensory regulation plans. Together these approaches provide a framework for creating supportive, structured, and inclusive learning environments that address both the cognitive and social-emotional needs of students with TBI.
