Prediction of Educational Outcome After Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

• Published in: Rehabilitation psychology Vol. 48; no. 4; pp. 237 - 241
• Main Authors: Miller, Lori J, Donders, Jacobus
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Educational Publishing Foundation 01-11-2003
• Subjects: Educational Placement; Female; Human; Male; Neuropsychological Assessment; Prediction; Special Education; Test Scores; Traumatic Brain Injury; Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children
• ISSN: 0090-5550; 1939-1544
• DOI: 10.1037/0090-5550.48.4.237

Objective:
Evaluation of the predictive value of neuropsychological test scores with respect to special education placement following pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Study Design:
Longitudinal follow-up and hierarchical logistic regression analyses.
Setting:
Regional rehabilitation center.
Participants:
Consecutive series of referrals, including 58 children with TBI and no confounding premorbid histories or other complicating factors.
Main Outcome Measures:
Special education placement at, respectively, 12 and 24 months postinjury.
Results:
Children who obtained a composite
T
score of less than 45 on the California Verbal Learning Test-Children's Version during initial postinjury neuropsychological assessment were 8-13 times more likely to be placed in special education 12-24 months later compared with children who obtained higher scores.
Conclusions:
Neuropsychological test scores are not only sensitive to acute injury severity but also explain a substantial proportion of the variance in educational outcome after pediatric TBI, above and beyond that accounted for by demographic and medical variables.