Peer-reviewed article
Family Functioning and Child Participation Following Early Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury
Erika B. Hagen, Libby Dart, Nicole Viola, Angela Ciccia, Jennifer P. Lundine ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how families function and how children participate in activities after experiencing a traumatic brain injury in early childhood. Researchers interviewed caregivers and measured their responses using scales. While families did not show serious dysfunction, children's participation in various settings was lower than average. The study found that early childhood brain injuries can affect families for years, and that learning and social-emotional problems impact how much children participate in school and community activities.
Key points
- Child participation across settings was below average following early childhood TBI
- Early childhood TBIs can affect family functioning even years after the injury
- Learning, academic, and social-emotional issues impact participation and family functioning
- Appropriate supports and accessible environments are critical for both family functioning and child participation
- Family functioning scores did not reflect problematic functioning overall
Limitations
The study is descriptive and does not evaluate an intervention or compare groups, so it cannot determine what causes the observed patterns or what would improve outcomes. The findings are based on caregiver reports only and may not reflect all aspects of family experiences or child functioning.
Abstract
Family functioning and child participation are critical factors in recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI) and academic and social outcomes. Using mixed methods, we investigated these factors in children who experienced early childhood TBIs and then entered formal U.S. schooling. Caregivers completed interviews and scales of family functioning and child participation. Their scores did not reflect problematic family functioning, but showed participation across settings was below average. Themes from interviews included: (1) early childhood TBIs can affect family functioning even years after the injury; (2) learning, academic, and social-emotional issues impact participation and family functioning following early childhood TBI; and (3) appropriate supports and accessible environments are critical for both family functioning and child participation across settings. Mixed methods analyses indicated convergence, divergence, and expansion between qualitative and quantitative results. Results enhance our understanding of challenges encountered after early childhood TBI and provide directions for future interventions.