The academic placement of 87 children 6 years 6 months to 16 years 6 m
onths old who had sustained traumatic brain injuries was determined wi
thin 1 year after injury. Forty-five children had returned full-time t
o regular academic programs, 21 children were receiving special educat
ion support for less than 50% of their classes, and 21 children were e
nrolled in special education classes for more than 50% of their time.
The predictive power of various patient history variables with regard
to school reentry was evaluated by means of stepwise discriminant anal
ysis. Verbal IQ at initial postinjury assessment appeared to be the mo
st important factor with regard to school placement within the first y
ear after injury. Theoretical and research implications are discussed.