Amanda's Fall, with charming illustrations by Bijan Samaddar, depicts an event common in schools today. Young Amanda gets a concussion after falling and hitting her head during recess. While she can hear people talking, she cannot respond. Amanda is taken to a doctor for evaluation. Wisely, her parents ask for a prognosis, which in Amanda’s case, is a good one. Author Kelly Darmofal offers readers her third book on TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), encouraging parents and caretakers to alert schools and, hopefully, doctors when any child is concussed; side effects can then be ameliorated. Studies show that Traumatic Brain Injuries represent the leading cause of death and disability in young adults in industrialized countries. According to the CDC, at least 564,000 children are seen each year for brain injury in hospital emergency departments and released. "Kelly Darmofal worked hard on recovering from severe TBI, and gained the special gift of ability to explain what she went through. This book offers transforming power to children and parents—those afflicted with TBI and those trying to prevent it." -- Dr. Frank Balch Wood, professor emeritus of neurology-neuropsychology at Wake Forest School of Medicine and ordained Baptist minister "Amanda's Fall is a delightful, much needed children’s book on Traumatic Brain Injury. Through the eyes of a child, it raises awareness, has tips for coping and offers support for those affected." -- Christina Condon NP, Neurology "Amanda's Fall is a lovely book that uses rhyme and colorful illustrations to engage young readers. Kelly Bouldin Darmofal's warm writing style makes it easy to understand the issues surrounding this potentially serious medical condition." Laurie Zelinger, PhD, RPT-S, board certified psychologist and author of Please Explain Time Out to Me "This is a cute and creative story to help young children understand their world after a traumatic brain injury. It teaches them that they are not alone in their experiences. The tips for parents are a valuable resource as well. -- Mary Jane Morgan, Lower School Principal, Calvary Day School "Darmofal has an ease in the way she writes about TBI. In this sweet story, she makes a difficult situation approachable and something to discuss. This is a wonderful story to share and educate children about TBI." -- Susie van der Vorst, co-Founder and Director, Camp Spring Creek Learn more at www.ImLostInMyMind.com From Loving Healing Press www.LHPress.com

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 developme

Describes multidisciplinary, integrative, and translational approaches to research and practice in pediatric traumatic brain injury.

Head trauma in children is a major public health problem. It is a leading cause of death, and it can result in a spectrum of difficulties involving cognition, academic achievement, and social interaction. Children are evolving organisms for whom a static conceptualization of outcome may cloud the effects of traumatic brain injury. This important book explores sources of unexplained variability in outcome by developmental stage. For clinicians, the volume will provide easy access into the mainstream of research on traumatic brain injury in children, its pathophysiology, treatment, and outcome. For scientists specializing in cognition and development, and for those in the basic neurosciences, the studies of traumatic brain injury discussed in this book offer a unique opportunity to relate brain structure to patterns of behavior. Modern neurodiagnostic techniques have created new possibilities for understanding the neurological basis of the diverse behavioral deficits shown by head-injured children. The contributors of this volume not only present detailed analyses of the present state of knowledge of the diverse determinants of outcome in children with head injury, but they also emphasize the gaps and limitations in our knowledge.

A physician with thirty-five years of experience treating people with brain injuries shares the latest research on concussions and best practices for care. The explosion of attention to sports concussions has many of us thinking about the addled brains of our football and hockey heroes. But concussions happen to everyone, not just elite athletes. Children fall from high chairs, drivers and cyclists get into accidents, and workers encounter unexpected obstacles on the job. Concussions are prevalent, occurring even during everyday activities. In fact, in less time than it takes to read this sentence, three Americans will experience a concussion. The global statistics are no less staggering. Shaken Brain offers expert advice and urgently needed answers. Elizabeth Sandel, MD, is a board-certified physician who has spent more than three decades treating patients with traumatic brain injuries, training clinicians, and conducting research. Here she explains the scientific evidence for what happens to the brain and body after a concussion. And she shares stories from a diverse group of patients, educating readers on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Few people understand that what they do in the aftermath of their injury will make a dramatic difference to their future well-being; patient experiences testify to the best practices for concussion sufferers and their caregivers. Dr. Sandel also shows how to evaluate risks before participating in activities and how to use proven safety strategies to mitigate these risks. Today concussions aren’t just injuries—they’re big news. And, like anything in the news, they’re the subject of much misinformation. Shaken Brain is the resource patients and their families, friends, and caregivers need to understand how concussions occur, what to expect from healthcare providers, and what the long-term consequences may be.

In the past decade, few subjects at the intersection of medicine and sports have generated as much public interest as sports-related concussions - especially among youth. Despite growing awareness of sports-related concussions and campaigns to educate athletes, coaches, physicians, and parents of young athletes about concussion recognition and management, confusion and controversy persist in many areas. Currently, diagnosis is based primarily on the symptoms reported by the individual rather than on objective diagnostic markers, and there is little empirical evidence for the optimal degree and duration of physical rest needed to promote recovery or the best timing and approach for returning to full physical activity. Sports-Related Concussions in Youth: Improving the Science, Changing the Culture reviews the science of sports-related concussions in youth from elementary school through young adulthood, as well as in military personnel and their dependents. This report recommends actions that can be taken by a range of audiences - including research funding agencies, legislatures, state and school superintendents and athletic directors, military organizations, and equipment manufacturers, as well as youth who participate in sports and their parents - to improve what is known about concussions and to reduce their occurrence. Sports-Related Concussions in Youth finds that while some studies provide useful information, much remains unknown about the extent of concussions in youth; how to diagnose, manage, and prevent concussions; and the short- and long-term consequences of concussions as well as repetitive head impacts that do not result in concussion symptoms. The culture of sports negatively influences athletes' self-reporting of concussion symptoms and their adherence to return-to-play guidance. Athletes, their teammates, and, in some cases, coaches and parents may not fully appreciate the health threats posed by concussions. Similarly, military recruits are immersed in a culture that includes devotion to duty and service before self, and the critical nature of concussions may often go unheeded. According to Sports-Related Concussions in Youth, if the youth sports community can adopt the belief that concussions are serious injuries and emphasize care for players with concussions until they are fully recovered, then the culture in which these athletes perform and compete will become much safer. Improving understanding of the extent, causes, effects, and prevention of sports-related concussions is vitally important for the health and well-being of youth athletes. The findings and recommendations in this report set a direction for research to reach this goal.