Acquired Brain Injuries

The BrainSTEPS is a nationally recognized Brain Injury School Consulting Program. Established in 2007, the BrainSTEPS Program builds a bridge connecting students, families, medical rehabilitation providers, and school staff.

BrainSTEPS created the Brain Injury Support Framework to assist students who struggle to learn after an acquired brain injury. This framework provides Pennsylvania schools with brain injury-specific academic supports to ensure students receive an appropriate education after an injury.

BrainSTEPS teams are based in all 29 educational Intermediate Units and cover all Pennsylvania public schools. Over 200 BrainSTEPS consultants provide brain injury consultation and training to their local school districts across the Commonwealth when a child has been identified as having experienced an acquired brain injury, which includes traumatic brain injuries of all severities, concussions, and nontraumatic brain injuries. 

BrainSTEPS offers brain injury-related consultation and training to school staff, students, and parents in all Pennsylvania Public Schools. They also monitor students by checking in with their parents annually until the student graduates, aiming to identify any new learning or behavior issues that may arise over time, which is common after a brain injury. 

Established in 2007 by the PA Department of Health, BrainSTEPS is jointly funded by the PA Department of Health and PA Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education via the PaTTAN network. The BrainSTEPS state director is Dr. Brenda Eagan-Johnson. BrainSTEPS is offered to PA public school students at no cost to the student or parent.