Brain Injury / Overview

Every 21 seconds, someone in the United States sustains a brain injury. In fact, more people experience traumatic brain injury each year than breast cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injuries combined.

Although it can be a devastating diagnosis, there is much cause for hope. With the right treatment, people with brain injury – whether traumatic (caused by a blow or jolt to the head) or non-traumatic (caused by lack of oxygen, tumor, stroke, infection, or congenital abnormality) – can and do make significant progress in regaining skills.

Treatment should include rehabilitation and special education services through a multidisciplinary team of professionals, including licensed psychologists, physical and occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, behavioral specialists, and teachers specifically trained in the treatment of brain injury. Residential services can also be useful for individuals who need extra care.

Children and adolescents with brain injury need a special place where they can receive the services they need to rebuild their lives. The May Center for Education and Neurorehabilitation, one of only a handful of pediatric programs in the United States that focus on both education and rehabilitation, is just such a place.