Dysphagia (swallowing difficulties)

Physical	Communication	Cognitive	Behavioural / Emotional

Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing food or liquids) is one of the most common health challenges following a TBI. The nerve centres controlling swallowing within the brain may be damaged, or the person with the condition may have cognitive problems and no longer understand what food is or how to eat and swallow food. Dysphagia may result in choking and aspirating (inhaling) food into the lungs which can result in pneumonia.

Treatments for dysphagia include:

speech and language therapy to learn new swallowing techniques
changing the consistency of food and liquids to make them safer to swallow
alternative forms of feeding, such as tube feeding through the nose or stomach

In time most patients who have suffered Traumatic Brain Injury can regain their swallowing reflex.

"When someone has a brain injury, early access to local, specialist rehabilitation is crucial to ensure the maximum recovery and make significant savings to the state in health costs"

Headway; United Kingdom

"Taking brain injured children home causes high stress for families. Disjointed services exacerbate family stress levels."

Deborah Andrews; New Zealand

"Intensive and individualized approaches work. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn't. You have to make it relevant to the child."

Recolo; United Kingdom

"Pediatric neuro-rehabilitation cannot be delivered in isolation. The needs of the child have to be looked at both holistically and within the context of the family unit. Parents need to be empowered to be parents in post-acute pediatric neuro-rehabilitation following brain injury"

The Children's Trust; United Kingdom

"Participation in teen sports and normal activities leads to improved quality of life for children and young people post brain injury and helps to maximise outcomes"

Claire Willis; Australia

"With support parents cope better so the child has a better recovery"

Andrea Palacio-Navarro; Spain

"Thousands of children and young people living in the UK today without the help and support that can make a huge difference to their lives"

Dalton Leong; Chief Executive of the Children's Trust

"Parent-supported interventions after paediatric ABI bring reductions to the cost to society"

Eric Hermans; Netherlands

"When different organisations assess different aspects of a child's neuro-rehabilitation needs, everyone looks at things from a different perspective and have conflicting priorities"

Cathy Jonson; Rehab without Walls; United Kingdom.

"We need to harness the power of brain plasticity for treating children and young people with brain injury, especially at the key ages of 0-3 and at ages 10-16"

Professor Bryan Kolb; Canada

OUR MISSION: To work to remove inequalities for children & young people affected by acquired brain injury; and provide effective support to their families that makes a real difference to their lives.