Traumatic Brain Injury Checklist

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Please rate the student's behavior (in comparison to same-age classmates) using the following rating scale:

Checklist of Behaviors
Problem Not At All Occasionally Often Very Severe & Frequent Problem
A. Orientation and Attention to Activity
Confused with time (day, date); place (classroom, bathroom, schedule changes); and personal information (birth date, address, phone, schedule)        
Seems "in a fog" or confused        
Stares blankly        
Appears sleepy or to fatigue easily        
Fails to finish things started        
Cannot concentrate or pay attention        
Daydreams or gets lost in thoughts        
Inattentive, easily distracted        
B. Starting, Changing, and Maintaining Activities
Confused or requires prompts about where, how or when to begin assignment        
Does not know how to initiate or maintain conversation (walks away, etc.)        
Confused or agitated when moving from one activity, place, or group to another        
Stops midtask (math problem, worksheets, story, or conversation)        
Unable to stop (perseverates on) inappropriate strategies, topics, or behaviors        
Gives up quickly on challenging tasks        
C. Taking in and Retaining Information
Forgets things that happened even the same day        
Problems learning new concepts, facts, or information        
Cannot remember simple instructions or rules        
Forgets classroom materials, assignments, and deadlines        
Forgets information learned from day to day (does well on quizzes, but fails tests covering several weeks of learning)        
D. Language Comprehension and Expression
Confused with idioms ("climbing the walls") or slang        
Unable to recall word meaning or altered meaning (homonym or homographs)        
Unable to comprehend or breakdown instructions with request        
Difficulty understanding "Wh" questions        
Difficulty understanding complex or lengthy discussion        
Processes information at a slow pace        
Difficulty finding specific words (may describe but not label)        
Stammers or slurs words        
Difficulty fluently expressing ideas (speech disjointed, stops midsentence)        
E. Visual-Perceptual Processing
Cannot track when reading, skips problems, or neglects a portion of a page of written material        
Orients body or materials in unusual positions when reading or writing        
Gets lost in halls and cannot follow maps or graphs        
Shows left-right confusion        
F. Visual-Motor Skills
Difficulty copying information from board        
Difficulty with notetaking        
Difficulty with letter formation or spacing        
Slow, inefficient motor output        
Poor motor dexterity (cutting, drawing)        
G. Sequential Processing
Difficulty with sequential steps of task (getting out materials, turning to page, starting an assignment)        
Confuses the sequence of events or other time-related concepts        
H. Problem-Solving, Reasoning, and Generalization
Fails to consider alternatives when first attempt fails        
Does not use compensatory strategies (outlining or underlining)        
Problems understanding abstract concepts (color, emotions, math and science)        
Confusion with cause-effect relationships        
Unable to categorize (size, species)        
Problems making inferences or drawing conclusions        
Can state facts, but cannot integrate or synthesize information        
Difficulty applying what they know in different or new situations        
I. Organization and Planning Skills
Difficulty breaking down complex tasks (term papers, projects)        
Problems organizing materials        
Problems distinguishing between important and unimportant information        
Difficulty making plans and setting goals        
Difficulty following through with and monitoring plans        
Sets unrealistic goals        
J. Impulse or Self-Control
Blurts out in class        
Makes unrelated statements or responses        
Acts without thinking (leaves class, throws things, sets off alarms)        
Displays dangerous behavior (runs into street, plays with fire, drives unsafely)        
Disturbs other pupils        
Makes inappropriate or offensive remarks        
Shows compulsive habits (masturbation, nail biting, tapping)        
Hyperactive, out-of-seat behavior        
K. Social Adjustment and Awareness
Acts immature for age        
Too dependent on adults        
Too bossy or submissive with peers        
Peculiar manners and mannerisms (stands too close, interrupts, unusually loud, poor hygiene)        
Fails to understand social humor        
Fails to correctly interpret nonverbal social cues        
Difficulty understanding the feelings and perspective of others        
Does not understand strengths, weaknesses and self presentation        
Does not know when help is required or how to get assistance        
Denies any problems or changes resulting from injury        
L. Emotional Adjustment
Easily frustrated by tasks or if demands not immediately met        
Becomes argumentative, aggressive, or destructive with little provocation        
Cries or laughs too easily        
Feels worthless or inferior        
Withdrawn, does not get involved with others        
Becomes angry or defensive when confronted with changes resulting from injury        
Apathetic and disinterested in friends or activities        
Makes constant inappropriate sexual comments and gestures        
Unhappy or depressed affect        
Nervous, self-conscious, or anxious behavior        
M. Sensorimotor Skills
Identified problems with smell, taste, touch, hearing or vision        
Problems discriminating sound or hearing against background noise        
Problems with visual acuity, blurring or tracking        
Problems with tactile sensitivity (e.g., cannot type or play an instrument without watching hands)        
Identified problems with oromotor (e.g., swallowing), fine motor or gross motor skills        
Poor sense of body in space (loses balance, negotiating obstacles)        
Motor paralysis or weakness of one or both sides        
Motor rigidity (limited range of motion), spasticity (contractions) and ataxia (erratic movements) circle one        
Impaired dexterity (cutting, writing) or hand tremors        
Difficulty with skilled motor activities (dressing, eating)