Evidence-Based Interventions for Children and Adolescents with Brain Injury

Dear Colleagues,

Traumatic brain injury in pediatric populations results in a constellation of symptoms that affect cognition, behavior, emotion, and daily functioning. Difficulties with attention, memory, processing speed, executive control, irritability, impulsivity, and socio-emotional regulation often emerge during recovery, interacting with ongoing developmental processes. These symptoms can disrupt successful participation at home, school, and in peer relationships, making effective, targeted intervention essential. Therapeutic approaches in this context must not only address the immediate manifestations of injury but also support adaptive skill-building, behavioral stabilization, and the restoration of functional routines as the young brain continues to develop.

This Special Issue focuses on evidence-based interventions that directly engage these challenges through structured, goal-oriented, and developmentally informed methods. We highlight behavioral, cognitive, psychosocial, and integrated strategies that improve symptom management, strengthen compensatory skills, and promote long-term recovery and success. Contributions emphasize mechanisms of change, real-world functional outcomes, and interventions that adapt to individual profiles of impairment and resilience. By bringing together research grounded in practice, neuroscience, and behavioral science, this Special Issue aims to advance an understanding of how specialized interventions can optimize recovery trajectories for children and adolescents with traumatic brain injury.

Dr. Melissa McCart
Dr. Juliet K. Haarbauer-Krupa
Dr. Megan Kunze
Guest Editors

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