When an infant, child, or young adolescent experiences an acquired brain injury, it is much different than when an older adolescent/adult experiences brain injury. For the latter, they have completed or are in the process of completing physical development and neurodevelopment (e.g., brain). They have acquired the basic skills needed to function as a “mature organism”. If they experience an acquired brain injury, depending upon the severity of the injury, they will lose functional capacity of the brain, the degree of loss dependent upon the severity, location, and type of injury. When an infant/child/young adolescent experiences a brain injury, it not only affects the skills that they have acquired, but also disrupts their developmental/neurodevelopmental progression. That is to say, they are not acquiring the functional foundation of skills we all depend upon to progress from childhood to adulthood. “My husband just hasn’t grown up!” is not what we are talking about.

From birth on, the brain is growing and developing the networks of neurons, developing structure for specific skills, language being a notable example. When the brain is injured, that progression of development is disrupted or in some cases lost, meaning that treatment/developmental support must go back and begin the process of “rebuilding”. That is the foundation of what is called a “neurodevelopment disorder”. The basic definition is one of there being a disruption (i.e., disorder) of developmental progression. Examples include Autism, ADD / ADHD, Non-Verbal Learning Disorder, Sensory Processing Disorder, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome etc. Many learning disorders are fundamentally neurodevelopmental disorders.

It is critical that treatment begin early and aggressively; early intervention is key. Parents need to receive the tools and resources to participate in treatment, but also be “empowered” in the treatment process as participants (e.g., observers/reporters, historians, co-providers). I encourage parents to be assertive in asking to participate and to receive the information and tools they require. The process is really one of “all the kings horses, and all the men” working together, the similarity of putting “Humpty Dumpty all together again”. Very few parents can afford paying someone to provide all treatment support and intervention. I consider part of my role being that of helping to organize and train the parents, clinicians, educators, and even grandparents. It is a little unsettling how often the expectation of families is just to take the child home “and love them”.

Neurodevelopment is the foundation of virtually everything we are or will become. A disruption of that process is devastating, but should receive the greatest level of effort we can muster as parents, grandparents, educators, health care providers, and others.

Your comments and questions are welcome and encouraged!!