Background: In Oregon in 2019, only 261 students were eligible for special education under the traumatic brain injury (TBI) category. Many students with TBIs are not treated by a medical provider, so the requirement for a medical statement could prevent eligible youth from receiving special education services.
Objective: This study investigated barriers to using a medical statement to establish special education eligibility for TBI, support for using a guided credible history interview (GCHI), and training needs around GCHI.
Results: Among participants, 84% reported difficulty obtaining a medical statement for TBI eligibility determination, and 87% favored the GCHI as an alternative, though they reported a need for training in TBI and GCHI.
Conclusion: The results support the use of GCHI to establish special education eligibility for TBI and informed Oregon's addition of GCHI to TBI special education eligibility determination.
Keywords: Brain injury; concussion; medical statement; policy; school; services; special education.