ABI Education Services, LLC is a consulting business that addresses the educational and transition needs of children, adolescents and young adults with acquired brain injury (ABI). The goal of ABI Education Services, LLC is to provide awareness and education on the implications of acquired brain injury (ABI) on the lives of children, adolescents and young adults through education, consultation, in-service training, speaking engagements, lectures, literature, and expert testimony. ABI includes traumatic brain injury, concussions, mild brain injury, anoxia, and stroke. It’s business goal is to help direct in-school services and supports to help accommodate the individual in relationship to his/her specialized physical, cognitive and psychosocial needs.
In-school professionals, including teachers, know little about meeting the needs of this population of students. Therefore, it is important, if not essential, to disseminate knowledge on the implications of ABI on children’s/adolescent’s/young adult’s lives. The educational training provided by ABI Education Services, LLC emphasizes the importance of understanding the implications of brain injury on youth’s lives in order to provide appropriate in-school supports and effective service coordination to help to improve these students’ overall quality of life. A fair and appropriate public education (FAPE) is guaranteed under IDEA for student’s with ABI, but despite this federal law, a lot of schools are still falling short of providing these students with an appropriate education and providing them access to the necessary transitional services into the community.
The Consulting Services Provided:
1. Transition Services:
Transition services include transition from hospital/rehabilitation setting into the school system and within the school system (i.e, semester to semester, grade level to grade level and elementary to middle school and middle school to high school). The transition services provided also include from the high school setting into post-secondary education and life. Specific services include, but are not limited to:
Coordinating a student’s individualized transition so that all appropriate supports and services are promptly provided upon reintegration into the school system.
Coordinating a student’s transition throughout the school year and provide on-going support.
Effectively communicating effectively with school professionals and administrators prior to reintegration into the school system to establish a coordinated, collaborative effort.
Developing/Establishing goals and objectives that are appropriate for the student’s individualized needs.
Developing/Establishing a transition plan as a student progresses from grade level to grade level.
Developing/Establishing a transition plan for a student’s transition into post-secondary life.
Developing/Establishing transition plans for young adults trying to reintegrate into the community and society.
2. In-service Consultation Services (integration support):
In-service consultations support helps to maximize the benefits of a student’s education after brain injury.
These services include, but are not limited to:
Review of student’s files and observation of student in his/her current school placement and/or environment.
Review of assessments in order to establish appropriate in-school supports/services as documented in the Individual Education Plan (IEP), Behavioral Support Plan (BIP) and Individual Transition Plan (ITP) and life-skills training.
Reviewing, providing help in understanding and interpreting assessment results.
Preparation for and attending IEP meetings (IEP Consultation).
Providing advocacy services for appropriate in-school placement and facilitating appropriate support and services.
Helping to establish an effective coordination of service to optimize a student’s education environment (to promote an enriching environment to foster development).
Providing home-based suggestions to parents.
3. Professional Training Services:
It is important for everyone who has direct or in-direct interaction with the student to understand the implications and repercussion of brain injury.
These training services include, but are not limited to:
Provide consultation to administration on the importance individualized support and services to help improve a student’s overall quality of life.
Ensure a school is in compliance with the special education law.
Provide in-school professional and paraprofessional training/consultation on the implications of brain injury on student’s life.
Provide behavioral management training.
Provide parent and sibling training.
Provide training to in-school peers, classmates, on the implications of brain injury on the student’s life and ways they can provide positive support to the student post-injury.
4. Outside/Community Support and Services:
The overall success of a student’s integration depends on the levels of community support and services s/he receives.
These services include, but are not limited to:
Observation of student in real-world settings to understand community needs and supports.
Assistance with locating and accessing community support in relationship to those services the student might qualify to receive.
Provide assistance with referrals and applying for eligible community services.
Identifying and addressing post-secondary goals.
Provide assistance in meeting post-secondary goals by developing a transition plan and what steps the student/young adult needs to take to achieve his/her goal(s).
Provide expert testimony in legal cases.
5. Speaking Engagements/Lectures/Litigation:
Dr. Kimes is available to present on the subject of brain injury in relationship to promoting positive educational and transition outcomes. Dr. Kimes possesses a unique understanding of brain injury in relationship promoting an individual’s overall quality of life. A sample of Dr. Kimes’ presentations include:
Effective Coordination of Services In Primary and Secondary Educational Settings
Transition Planning for the Student with Brain Injury
Autobiographical story of living with and overcoming the repercussions of a severe traumatic brain injury (Please see tbi-survivors.com for more information)
Expert testimony in litigation cases involving ABI:
Dr. Kimes can provide expert testimony in legal cases to explain the repercussions of ABI on a child’s/adolescent’s/young adult’s life and how the implications of injury are on-going. Dr. Kimes believes individuals with ABI should be compensated accordingly to help them to live as independently as possible because the effects of brain injury typically last a lifetime.