Parent Quotes
- BrainSTEPS advocated to the district adaptations and accommodations for my child to have needed brain breaks and the ability to wear sunglasses in class. These were things that I requested BEFORE BrainSTEPS were involved but was told they weren’t possible. After BrainSTEPS intervened they were possible!
- Every IEP meeting, our BrainSTEPS team member attended via Zoom, weighed in with a more than professional opinion, and I relied heavily on her wisdom and experience.
- The team made sure the district provided my child with brain breaks and provided support if my child wanted to wear sunglasses or a hat. Before BrainSTEPS became involved, she was told she was not allowed to wear the sunglasses –an adaptation that I know is commonplace in many other local school districts.
- Our daughter is an excellent student, highly gifted and a go-getter. BrainSTEPS was able to help us understand the need for rest breaks before certain classes. This has really helped.
- The advocating that our BrainSTEPS consultant instituted for my son in our IEP meetings made me feel like I truly had someone on my side to help me make the best decisions.
- Change in schedule to avoid noise in hallways and when class ended; blue light glasses to help with online work, improved communication (school was open/willing to make changes, but my daughter wouldn't ask). During the meeting with BrainSTEPS and the school, some of the changes initially suggested by the school and backed up by BrainSTEPS were more easily implemented.
- BrainSTEPS “gets it” – my child’s school staff did not understand that my son’s challenges require thinking outside the box. I felt like I had an ally that understood the brain side of things and we enjoyed talking with her throughout the year.
- Valued does not touch on the appreciation I feel for BrainSTEPS
- BrainSTEPS interaction helped the teacher and us as parents realize that although my son seemed fine, he HAD to take it slower than he OR WE would have liked at the time. But it was the best thing for him.
- The BrainSTEPS consultant was supportive, professional, and focused on specific interventions and supports. Having an outside expert from BrainSTEPS to explain things is much better than "mom says"!
- BrainSTEPS helped educate the teachers and nurses on my child's condition and what signs to look for in her education and physical well-being should something not go so well.
- It was extremely helpful having someone advocating for my child and being a liaison between us and the school. Before this, we felt a little lost and didn't feel like accommodations were being followed.
- My child's BrainSTEPS team was amazingly helpful and communicated with me and my child, as well as with relevant school personnel, regularly and effectively.
- Tremendously helpful! Both our children had concussions this year - our daughter who received BrainSTEPS support had a much better experience than our high school freshman who did not have BrainSTEPS support.
- My daughter just told me, having the BrainSTEPS team member involved has lessened my daughter's stress level, and that is invaluable!
- BrainSTEPS offered many great suggestions for my daughter for at home and at school. I appreciated the resources and information that was provided for her academic life as well as her personal life.
Student Quotes
- I knew I had someone advocating for me and available if I needed anything.
- The BrainSTEPS team helped me this year by creating a plan with my teachers and guidance counselors to help me to be able to still go to school and maintain good grades.
- BrainSTEPS:
- Allowed me to have extra time on assignments and tests. They also made it so teachers gave me class notes to better understand, because I couldn't keep up when I had to write them.
- Connected my school connect to my rehabilitation
- Made assignments/school less stressful. It helped me academically.
- At first my teachers didn't explain what I had to do so I just did everything. But after BrainSTEPS was involved, my teachers gave me a little less work and moved it on paper, so I didn't get headaches as much.
- Helped my teachers to understand my seizures
- I didn't have to make up every test I missed.
- Communicated the extent of my injury to my teachers
- BrainSTEPS spoke with my teachers and explained to them how blue paper made it easier for me to concentrate as opposed to white paper
- BrainSTEPS helped me with school and with the make-up work. They helped me understand the "new normal" for me now and what my brain went through at my injury. This helped me understand why I had changes.
- Teachers were giving me a hard time making up, completing, and understanding my work until the BrainSTEPS Program stepped in. I take school very seriously. I am an honor roll student that is failing math because of my injury. I was given the opportunity to take and incomplete vs "F" in math thanks to your program and still maintain a 3.5 average with the failing math grade.
- BrainSTEPS helps me feel that I actually have hope in school. Don't give up.
- If it would not have been for this program, I don't think I would have graduated because my school would not help me.
- I was allowed to work at my own pace but still being in the classroom instead of being at home.
- BrainSTEPS was essential in the beginning of my injury by providing us with information and guidance. We did not know what was happening and had no idea what to do. BrainSTEPS also helped us get in contact with another family having similar issues, which has been a big help for my parents.
- I was nervous that the teachers didn't believe me about my brain injury (or the extent of my injury). After they met with BrainSTEPS, I knew they did.
- BrainSTEPS helped communicate to my teachers what my symptoms were and how much work was appropriate to handle during certain stages of my brain injury.
- BrainSTEPS helped me by taking the pressure from my parents and teachers off a little bit. It made me realize I'm still a good student.
School Staff Quote
- We had a student with a significant visual issue after a severe traumatic brain injury. BrainSTEPS was our best and most knowledgeable support-even over our medical providers!
- It seems that the students I have worked with that have also coordinated services with BrainSTEPS come back to school sooner and are cleared earlier. I think it has to do with the fact that BrainSTEPS is pointing parents in medical directions they wouldn't have thought of, and it is helping students to get better faster.
- Most important is the sense of relief that some students and parents have after the BrainSTEPS meeting because they have someone who makes their brain injury "normal" and can point them to a road of recovery.
- The BrainSTEPS team was able to recommend further assessments based upon their knowledge of the impact the impairment may have had on the child's functioning.
- BrainSTEPS has been helpful in monitoring our student. Also, I run ideas past her, and we agree on the plan before we implement. Our student is still suffering for cognitive concerns 6 months later and BrainSTEPS is still actively involved.
- BrainSTEPS is an organization that has not only provided support for students who have been injured (concussion, traumatic brain injury, etc...) but also has made me as an educator much more aware of how the cognitive, physical, and social/emotional pieces connect.
- BrainSTEPS was helpful in suggesting additional supports that could be implemented.
- Parents seemed to be more reassured that the district had an expert on the team to assist with decision making and review of records regarding their child's TBI-related symptoms.
- It helped us all to understand how to better help student
- Our BrainSTEPS consultant continues to be a great resource for us and always provides any updates when we meet/talk.
- Our BrainSTEPS consultant is a wonderful support to our team. She is very knowledgeable and does not hesitate to come out and meet with our team and families. She is always very supportive and helpful. She is a true asset.
- Our BrainSTEPS consultant was thorough and kind in her work with my students who sustained concussions or brain injuries.
- Our BrainSTEPS team leader is stellar! She has been closely involved with each of our referrals this year and has been so supportive to the students as well as the families!
- Our Brain Injury consultant goes above and beyond to help the brain injured students referred to her and her team.
- With each student, BrainSTEPS tailored the recommendations with the students' needs. The BrainSTEPS interview is very thorough and gives the family and the team a good perspective of where the child is and what is needed.
- The BrainSTEPS team provided guidance as well as responses to specific questions. The collaboration between our team and the BrainSTEPS team was critical to the success of our student!
- A detailed written plan was provided to school and family. A meeting with BrainSTEPS team member and school team reviewed plan with student and parent was scheduled and attended by all involved.
- I now make referrals to the BrainSTEPS team whenever I hear that a student has any kind of brain-based issue. The positive impact they have made for our students has been huge. I feel more educated and informed about particular brain injuries, and for new ones (like agenesis of the corpus collosum, which I came across this year). I do not hesitate to reach out to them for their expertise. Just because a student presents like a student with a more understandable disorder (in this case, autism) does not mean the team shouldn't understand the actual root cause of the student's needs. I cannot say enough positive things about the knowledge, professionalism, responsiveness, and likeability of our BrainSTEPS consultant. She is fantastic.
- The ability to pull out information and put it together for actual next steps was incredibly astute and helpful.
- The BrainSTEPS consultant was able to talk about some of the long-term effects of a student with a severe brain injury. We are waiting for additional information from
- Our BrainSTEPS consultant has been an invaluable resource to our school. She is very responsive to our questions and brainstorming plans for our students. She also is able to find and access resources.
- BrainSTEPS is a wonderful program. Very comforting to the parents to understand how the brain works and heals.
- The BrainSTEPS report was very thorough and there were helpful accommodations and resources provided. The students' parents seemed to feel better about their child returning to school after our BrainSTEPS meeting and the classroom teacher felt more confident in what would be helpful.
- The documents provided to disseminate information regarding accommodations to teachers and administration, as well as the empowerment to provide academic accommodations with or without medical diagnosis has been tremendous.
- The BrainSTEPS consultant was helpful in communication with the parents and suggested strategies for ongoing academic adjustments.
- Not only does BrainSTEPS offer a full brain injury investigation for students with prolonged complications from the head injury, they are also available for students with multiple concussions. They are also available as a resource for general questions throughout the school year.
- BrainSTEPS provided our district with an annotated IEP for traumatic brain injury.
- BrainSTEPS always comes in with a plan of ideas that the IEP team has not thought of. They have been great!
- The BrainSTEPS team provided guidance and participated in collaboration that led to individualized programming for our student.
- BrainSTEPS has been a great resource for documentation and coordination, and for bringing together the many disciplines that go into supporting a student with brain injury.
- Reports from homeroom teacher that students' academic performance in home appointed assignments improved following inclusion of BrainSTEPS in students planning and coordination.
- BrainSTEPS is an excellent resource and goes above and beyond. Not only are they knowledgeable, but their caring also comes through loud and strong.
- Our BrainSTEPS consultant provided our students clear, concise, and effective supports and techniques to aid in their management of concussion symptoms and return to school.
- The students who have had a BrainSTEPS referral are better prepared, more organized and have a better understanding of their injury and how it has impact them.
- Simply bringing all the players to the table (student, parents, Concussion Management Team, and BrainSTEPS) demonstrates a level of support that decreases stress, legitimizes the injury, and acts almost as a beginning to recovery.
- The BrainSTEPS well planned, and very knowledgeable (training) sessions provided growth for our team(s) and ongoing understanding of the continued sources and support we could reach out for down the road, as needed.
- BrainSTEPS does a great job as BOTH the advocate for the child and the adviser to the school.
- Our BrainSTEPS consultant was extremely helpful in assisting me to educate the staff about concussions, the symptoms, and BrainSTEPS services. He also helped me with several parents that were not satisfied with the school's response.
- Great resource to have and we needed their guidance on numerous occasions.
- Great resource. BrainSTEPS takes the guess work out of working with students with Brain Injuries.
- Our BrainSTEPS team leader is an amazing support. She is knowledgeable, a team player.... resourceful!
- BrainSTEPS is wonderful. Easy to get ahold of and a true partner to the building.
- BrainSTEPS helped us to develop SDI for a student's IEP that the team was confused on. Very helpful.
- Our BrainSTEPS consultant was readily available, well prepared, and efficient in providing the necessary direction, recommendations, and follow-up.
- Our consultant is very knowledgeable of supports related to students with sustained brain injuries. She communicated well with parents, while also considering the practicality of accommodations implemented in a district of our size.
- BrainSTEPS has been a tremendous help in continuously providing us the newest and latest information regarding TBI.
- We appreciated the resources and having an expert for consultation to our team.
- BrainSTEPS continues to be a tremendous asset to our school in helping us support our students with traumatic brain injury.
- BrainSTEPS team gave helpful accommodation suggestions to support the student at school
- Information was provided to the classroom staff and demonstrated to help them understand how to better work with the student who sustained a brain injury.
- The team is always thorough and professional in working with school personnel, students, and parents.
- Proactive team that is doing a great job identifying individuals and groups that would benefit from services.
- The BrainSTEPS team member has always provided new information to our staff during the meetings while also relating the information to the effected student and their family very well.
- Our BrainSTEPS consultant was wonderful and always looks at the whole picture as far as the student's symptoms and educational needs when making her recommendations.
- Our BrainSTEPS team leader is fantastic! She and the team are a wonderful support for concussed students, their families, and the school.
