BUILDING SOCIAL NETWORKS FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY - A SCHOOL-BASED INTERVENTION

Objective: Three boys, ages 8, 11, and 13, who experienced social isol ation as a result of traumatic brain injury, were studied to investiga te the effectiveness of a school-based, educator-mediated intervention aimed at increasing the social networks of students with traumatic br ain injury. ii four-phase problem-solving process was instituted in wh ich a student-centered school team identified goals and strategies for increasing the student's social opportunities and then met frequently to review progress toward the goals. Main Outcome Measures: Frequency of students' social contacts with nondisabled peers, parent and educa tor social validation ratings, and participant observations, Results: The number of social contacts for each strident increased over baselin e levels and was maintained over the course of the study. Parents, tea chers, and students were generally satisfied with the process and with the concomitant increases in students' degree of social integration. Anecdotal follow-up reports indicated that these results were not main tained over time. Conclusions: The study's findings raise important qu estions about the varying perspectives on the importance of social int egration, the degree to which educators can serve as change agents in students' social experiences, and the type of follow-up support requir ed to maintain increases in students' social interactions.