Determining school reintegration needs of acquired brain injury patient through the use of a novel school simulation rubric

Abstract

Determining when a child returns to school after an acquired brain injury is difficult to assess. Many factors affect a successful hospital-to-school reintegration. The hospital school simulation allowed the Acute Pediatric Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit (IRU) interdisciplinary team to assess how the patient was functioning at specific stages of the patient healing process to target goals that explicitly helped the patient safely reintegrate into school. A patient with an acquired brain injury (ABI) participated in a hospital school simulation where a novel school simulation rubric (SSR) tool was used to evaluate completion of specific activities the patient would experience in a traditional classroom. Results were shared with the IRU team so accommodations and modifications could be made to the IRU school recommendations letter based on the results of the final SSR. Preliminary results were found to benefit the patient as they reintegrated back to school. This study highlights the need for ongoing communication between hospital providers and educational personnel to provide patients with academic supports for school reintegration.