Story of Katie & Neuro-Cognitive Stall in Children

No one thought to connect the brain injury years ago with her current issues.

Katie is normal 6 year old girl. She was in a car crash and suffered a brain injury; it was classified as a moderate brain injury. She was seen at the emergency room and then sent home with instructions to see her family doctor for further care. She missed school for about 1 month as she recovered from her injuries. After a month, she returned to school and her first grade class. With a lot of help from her teachers and her parents, Katie was able to finish the 1st grade with average scores. She needed help to learn new things and was able to remember them, but it required extra work with her teachers and extra studying.

Katie continued in school, she earned average or even above average grades. Several years after her injury, when she reached the 5th grade, her grades started to get worse. Her parents were confused and did not understand the change, Katie’s teachers did not know why she was suddenly getting worse in school. Katie went to school every day; Katie worked hard and did her homework every night; but Katie just didn’t understand the academics and her homework anymore. Katie’s lack of understanding made her more upset, frustrated and irritable, she would even argue with the teachers. Her parents and her teachers did not connect the brain injury she suffered years ago in the car accident to her current problems.

Katie was experiencing the long-term effects of a brain injury, which is often not apparent in children until many years later. The brain injury affected her later because her brain developed and her schoolwork became more complex and required more difficult problem solving. The areas of Katie’s brain that controls those functions were injured in the automobile accident. Until now, those skills of abstract reasoning and more complex problem solving were not expected to be present. It was only when Katie “grew into her injury” that her deficits became more readily apparent.

Fortunately, Katie’s mom was able to find help from brain injury specialists and ask them about why Katie was having trouble now. Katie and her mom learned about the “neuro-cognitive stall” after a brain injury and they found professionals that had experience working with children with brain injury.

Katie has a longer road to recovery from her brain injury, longer than her or her mother thought. Katie is now connected with the proper resources, understands why she is having difficulty, and has a much better chance of meeting the challenges of her brain injury.

If your child has suffered a brain injury, even a mild one, contact us today for free advice on how to proceed with medical care and any legal action you may have on behalf of your child. Call an experienced pediatric brain injury lawyer at (314) 863-0500 or contact a head injury lawyer online.