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Caring for a Child with a Brain Injury
A brain injury is sudden, devastating, and terrifying for both a child and their family. It can affect the entire family – the injured child, parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents and other relatives. Parents whose children have an acquired brain injury experience a range of emotions. Coming to terms with these new circumstances can place a great strain on parents and can take time.
Child and Adolescent Brain Injury
The effects of a brain injury vary from child to child. This is partly because every brain injury is unique, differing in type and severity. It is also because recovery from a brain injury is complex, with many factors contributing to the process. Because the brain is still developing in childhood and adolescence, it is also possible that the needs and challenges faced by the young person may change over time.
We have published a Guide Book for Carers and Families of people living with an acquired brain injury. The Guide Book includes some information about how the brain develops during childhood, the effects of brain injury for children and young people, and the challenges that may be faced by families.
On With Life Programme for Parents and Carers of Under 18s
Our On With Life Programme supports parents, siblings and professionals working with or caring for children and young people with an acquired brain injury.
The programme includes a specific network of support groups, creating an opportunity for parents and carers to share information and experiences in a safe, non-judgemental environment. If you are newly impacted by a brain injury, you may benefit from hearing from families with more lived experience, as they talk about the coping skills they used to support themselves through this change in their lives.
The On With Life Programme also provides regular education and information sessions. The sessions offer guidance on how to keep yourself physically and emotionally healthy, and practical tips and strategies to deal with the challenges you may be facing.
Resource Pack for Teachers
Feedback from members of the On With Life programme has shown that 75% of parents and carers struggle to explain their child’s acquired brain injury and its invisible difficulties to their school. Parents report that schools, teachers and SNAs want to help, but that often they do not know how to.
With thanks to the parents we support, Acquired Brain Injury Ireland staff and the goodwill and collaboration of many people and organisations we have developed a Resource Pack for Teachers and SNAs. We hope this resource will help clarity and explain some of the particular difficulties associated with an acquired brain injury, and support teachers to manage common challenges including fatigue, attention and concentration, behaviour and communication.
Storybook Resource for National Schools
‘Dash Defeats the Cloak of Fa-teeg’ is a storybook resource for national schools, written by Kathleen Brennan with support from the On With Life team, to inform children, families and teachers about one common effect of brain injury: Fatigue.
The beautifully illustrated story teaches young people about brain injury as experienced through the eyes of a wolf cub. It will help readers understand that not all injuries are visible – we can’t see them, so we should listen to and support our friends who may be struggling with difficulties like fatigue.
‘Dash’ encourages empathy, understanding, and kindness towards others.
