Blossoming Into Disability Culture Following Traumatic Brain Injury

This book tells the author’s story of her ten-year journey of recovery and identity transformation from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Dr. Dee is a survivor who regained the ability to articulate what many TBI survivors cannot, and this powerful account, provided in real-time, portrays the many seemingly unrelatable symptoms of brain injury and subsequent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Dr. Dee portrays how events pushed her beyond her limits and resulted in life-altering learning experiences, revealing a process of first figuring out how to live, then making meaning of her struggle. When half-way through her PhD program, Dr. Dee was crashed into by a car travelling at 65 miles per hour. She suffered a TBI. She lost her ability to read and write. She had a severe speech impediment and significantly impaired memory. Her journey of recovery, described in the book as her trek, spans four significant periods. The road begins with the loss of most of herself. Diagnosis and evolving symptoms show her broken pathway. The author goes through a rocky road of changes in her relationships and reidentification of herself as she finds her life coach, re-learns to read and write, and deals with mental health issues that felt like the end of her recovery. The final trek reveals hope and posttraumatic growth (PTG) and showcases the value of Disability Culture as a source of pride. This story is for fellow TBI survivors, their caretakers, families and friends, and professionals in the neurorehabilitation field. It brings light to the daunting changes after TBI and give hope for all who tread on this challenging path.

Neuropsychological Consequences of COVID-19 focuses on Anjana’s journey as a COVID survivor following a brain injury that left her with a very rare neuropsychological syndrome called Balint’s syndrome, a disorder associated with difficulties in visual and spatial coordination. It is also the first book of its kind to provide a first-hand account from India on surviving brain injury, from diagnosis, recovery and rehabilitation, providing the therapeutic milieu in the Indian context and exploring cultural influences on rehabilitation. Written jointly by Anjana, her neuropsychologist and the international experts in the field of neuropsychology who were also involved in her diagnosis and care, the book highlights how COVID-19, a virus primarily affecting the respiratory system, can also result in a disabling brain injury. It describes Anjana’s recovery and the rehabilitation she received and provides a deeper understanding of this experience of a very rare condition through the views of Anjana herself. In addition, Anjana’s rehabilitation journey stumbles upon many important themes of rehabilitation including cultural sensitivity, personal identity, resilience, role of family and rehabilitation in a low to middle income country. This book is valuable reading for clinical and neuropsychologists, neurologists, other rehabilitation therapists including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses and social work professionals, particularly those interested in cross cultural rehabilitation. It will also be of interest to students in these fields.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a significant source of death and permanent disability, contributing to nearly one-third of all injury related deaths in the United States and exacting a profound personal and economic toll. Despite the increased resources that have recently been brought to bear to improve our understanding of TBI, the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches has been disappointingly slow. Translational Research in Traumatic Brain Injury attempts to integrate expertise from across specialties to address knowledge gaps in the field of TBI. Its chapters cover a wide scope of TBI research in five broad areas: Epidemiology Pathophysiology Diagnosis Current treatment strategies and sequelae Future therapies Specific topics discussed include the societal impact of TBI in both the civilian and military populations, neurobiology and molecular mechanisms of axonal and neuronal injury, biomarkers of traumatic brain injury and their relationship to pathology, neuroplasticity after TBI, neuroprotective and neurorestorative therapy, advanced neuroimaging of mild TBI, neurocognitive and psychiatric symptoms following mild TBI, sports-related TBI, epilepsy and PTSD following TBI, and more. The book integrates the perspectives of experts across disciplines to assist in the translation of new ideas to clinical practice and ultimately to improve the care of the brain injured patient.

Is there such a thing as an American gay culture--a set of styles, values, and behaviors that arises not from ethnicity or religion but from sexual orientation? How is that culture transmitted? And how is it likely to survive the depradations of homophobia and AIDS? These questions are explored by Browning, a reporter for NPR.

The definitive guide to the latest edition of the Cognitive Assessment System Essentials of CAS2 Assessment is a comprehensive guide to the successful administration of the updated CAS2. Written by leading cognitive assessment experts, the book discusses the latest research and thinking on PASS (Planning, Attention-Arousal, Simultaneous and Successive) theory and includes case studies that demonstrate the use of CAS2 with several types of diagnostic groups and integration with other instruments. A companion website offers additional tools and information to help busy professionals make optimal use of the CAS2. This is the first book to provide comprehensive, step-by-step guidelines for administering, scoring, and interpreting the latest edition of the Cognitive Assessment System (CAS2). While the outcome of the test depends upon the child's performance, the reliability and accuracy of the analysis depends largely upon the performance of the test administrator. Essentials of CAS2 Assessment offers detailed insight on topics such as: Fair assessment of diverse populations Assessment of children with comorbid conditions Changes to the CAS2 rating scale and form Nuances of the three-tier model Each chapter in the book highlights key concepts, bulleted points, and actual test questions. The CAS2 is a valuable tool in the detection of learning disabilities, ADHD, TBI, retardation, and giftedness. Essentials of CAS2 Assessment is the guidebook professionals need to ensure the CAS2 test is applied and analyzed accurately so that the results can be applied to the maximum benefit of the child.

Introduces key terms, global concepts, debates, and histories for Children's Literature in an updated edition Over the past decade, there has been a proliferation of exciting new work across many areas of children’s literature and culture. Mapping this vibrant scholarship, the Second Edition of Keywords for Children’s Literature presents original essays on essential terms and concepts in the field. Covering ideas from “Aesthetics” to “Voice,” an impressive multidisciplinary cast of scholars explores and expands on the vocabulary central to the study of children’s literature. The second edition of this Keywords volume goes beyond disciplinary and national boundaries. Across fifty-nine print essays and nineteen online essays, it includes contributors from twelve countries and an international advisory board from over a dozen more. The fully revised and updated selection of critical writing—more than half of the essays are new to this edition—reflects an intentionally multinational perspective, taking into account non-English traditions and what childhood looks like in an age of globalization. All authors trace their keyword’s uses and meanings: from translation to poetry, taboo to diversity, and trauma to nostalgia, the book’s scope, clarity, and interdisciplinary play between concepts make this new edition of Keywords for Children’s Literature essential reading for scholars and students alike.