A medical exam is the first step to diagnose a potential brain injury. Assessment usually includes a neurological exam. This exam evaluates thinking, motor function (movement), sensory function, coordination, eye movement, and reflexes. Imaging tests, including CT scans and MRI scans, cannot detect all TBIs.

How do you know if your child has brain damage?

Physical symptoms can include a small head or skull, a large forehead, a malformed spine, stiffness in the neck, unusual or distorted facial features, and abnormal eye movement. Other early symptoms of brain damage can include seizures.

What scan checks for brain damage?

Imaging tests

  • Computerized tomography (CT) scan. This test is usually the first performed in an emergency room for a suspected traumatic brain injury.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An MRI uses powerful radio waves and magnets to create a detailed view of the brain.

Can the brain heal itself from brain damage?

The brain does not fully mend itself the way a cut or other injury does in the body. Recovery and return to function can depend on the cause of the injury and the person’s symptoms.

How much can you sue for brain damage?

Damages claimed for a typical brain injury case are almost always over $100,000 and claims in the millions are not uncommon.

Can a child recover from brain damage?

Research has shown that although a child can appear to recover more quickly from a brain injury than an adult this is not the case. A brain injury actually can have a more devastating impact on a child than an injury of the same severity on a mature adult..

How does traumatic brain injury qualify for Social Security disability?

In its listing, Social Security considers TBI to be brain damage caused by skull fracture, a closed head injury, or penetration by an object into the brain tissue. To qualify for benefits under the listing for TBI, 11.18, your medical records must document one of the following:

What to do if a child is misusing SSI?

The payee must save any funds not used for the child’s current needs, and must account annually for how he or she used the SSI payments for the child. If you believe a representative payee is misusing a child’s SSI payments, you should call the local Social Security Office.

Who is responsible for a Childs SSI payment?

When a child is eligible for SSI, SSA usually makes the cash payments to a responsible person or organization, known as a representative payee. Typically, a parent or other relative with whom the child lives serves as payee.

How does Social Security determine a childhood disability?

In making that decision, the Social Security office must consider the income and resources of parents who are living in the same household with the child. The Disability Determination Services (DDS), a State agency, obtains the necessary information and makes the medical determination in childhood disability claims for SSA, using SSA rules.