From the front lines: the evidence from concussion care

"There was a call one day from the ER, that a teenager had been brought in for severe concussion that afternoon. We learned this - my TBI team and I - when we had reached the ICU to see the kid; - that he had been playing 'mailbox baseball'; you know - swinging a baseball bat from a speeding car, to knock  the boxes off their supporting post. He had swung instead of ducked, and the mailbox took HIM out!

"Of course, we wanted to see him as soon as possible, to get baseline measurements of his function and, to start teaching any friends or family that might be near. Couldn't do that without a doctor's OK, though....the surgeon came from the ICU room, heard our pitch and then, floored us - absolutely LAID US OUT by his next statement: "He was drunk. He'll be OK". No referral. Dammit! We had been fine-tuning our diagnostic profiles for weeks, and now we're being told we can't help the kid - that recovering cognition is an afterthought?!?! What a short-sighted poltroon! Doctors have the power, though, dammit all. But they can't or won't do what we do....so, keep selling ourselves, was my lesson from that day. The surgeon thinks he can do speech therapy, but -

"Concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), can be extremely unpredictable when it comes to chronic effects. Not only are there the classic physical disruptions to consider; tinnitus, dizziness and headache - but the onset of cognitive challenges to attention, memory and higher cognitive functions; - and then there are often the emotional challenges a person with mTBI will face, when their world gets upended by changes that can occur. AM I CRAZY? - some persons will ask that, when they've told their PCP, a psychiatrist, a pastor, an employer or a teacher about their symptoms. You can use your bag of tricks to help them get back on the path to their life.

"Let the speech - language pathologist do speech therapy. We're cheaper than neuropsychology; we are well versed in turning diagnostic data into action; we aren't afraid to leave the sterile treatment room to achieve a real - life outcome; and we're good at teamwork, because we are the communication experts. We know how to achieve a connection. We can help prevent long-term disability, and help head off the development of neuroses. We can advocate for our patients, for their supports, and for the human service system. Just let us make the connection."

He said that to a  young protege' nearby, 22 years old or so, as a new round of drinks were served to the table of conventioneers for the speech and hearing meeting. The night was young.