Traumatic brain injury in childhood and adolescence: The role of educational psychology services in promoting effective recovery

An ecological-transactional framework is used to illustrate the complex interplay between risk and protective factors mediating immediate and enduring effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) during childhood and adolescence. A relatively high number of children are likely to experience TBI, and it is probable that many will be educated in maintained schools without specialist neuropsychological advice or support. Applied psychologists such as educational psychologists (EPs) have a key role in ensuring that neuropsychological and other forms of research can be applied to best effect to assist children’s recovery and future development. However, a questionnaire-based survey of the training of EPs (N = 117), and a more detailed survey of those who had worked with a child with a TBI within 12 months of questionnaire completion (N = 55) confirmed that it was unusual for more specialist colleagues, such as clinical neuropsychologists, to be involved in school-based consultation relating to such pupils, and indicated that, in a majority of cases, EPs’ initial and post-experience training had offered an insecure grounding upon which confidently to base their own practice in this domain. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the future training needs and practice of EPs, in order to ensure optimal support for children with TBI.