September is Brain Injury Awareness Month — a time to recognize the millions of children and adults living with the effects of brain injury, and to equip families with the information they need to navigate one of the most challenging medical journeys they will ever face.
If your child has recently been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the first 90 days can feel like a blur. Decisions come fast. Medical terminology can be overwhelming. The emotional weight is enormous. This guide is designed to help you understand what to expect during those critical first months — and what you can do to support the best possible outcome for your child.
What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury occurs when a sudden, external force disrupts the normal function of the brain. TBIs range from mild (commonly called a concussion) to severe, and they can result from falls, car accidents, sports injuries, assaults, or any other event involving a blow or jolt to the head.
In children, TBI is the leading cause of injury-related death and disability. The effects can touch nearly every aspect of a child’s functioning — physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral. The severity and location of the injury, the child’s age, and the speed and quality of rehabilitation all influence how recovery unfolds.
Days 1–30: Acute Care and What Families Should Focus On
The first month is typically spent in an acute hospital — often in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The medical team’s priorities during this phase are to stabilize the child, reduce intracranial pressure, prevent secondary injury, and begin initial assessments of neurological function.
For families, this phase is about presence, information-gathering, and beginning to plan. Ask the team to explain everything in plain language. Request regular family meetings. Begin asking about what post-acute rehabilitation will look like and what facilities are recommended. Start researching your options early — the best post-acute facilities often have limited availability, and early referral leads to better placement.
Begin the conversation with your insurance or payer about what levels of post-acute care are covered. Having a case manager on your side from early in the process is invaluable.
Days 30–60: The Post-Acute Transition
The transition from acute care to post-acute rehabilitation is one of the most important moments in the recovery journey. For children who are medically stable but not yet ready to go home, a specialized pediatric post-acute hospital like HealthBridge provides the bridge between the ICU and independent functioning.
During this phase, the rehabilitation team conducts a comprehensive baseline assessment of the child’s physical, cognitive, communicative, and emotional functioning. An individualized care plan is developed, and intensive therapy begins — typically daily physical, occupational, and speech therapy, with behavioral and psychological support as needed.
Families should expect this phase to feel both hopeful and hard. Progress is often uneven. There will be days that feel like breakthroughs and days that feel like setbacks. Both are normal, and both are part of recovery.
Days 60–90: Building a Rehabilitation Routine
By the 60 to 90-day mark, many children have achieved enough stability and progress to begin transitioning toward home and outpatient rehabilitation. Goals from the inpatient phase are reviewed and new goals are set for the outpatient and home phase.
This is also the time when school re-entry planning begins in earnest. The rehabilitation team works with families to document the child’s current functional profile and communicate with school staff about accommodations and supports needed for a successful return.
Families should use this phase to consolidate everything they’ve learned about their child’s condition, their triggers and strengths, the strategies that work, and the support systems they will need going forward.
The Most Important Decisions of the First 90 Days
Based on our experience at HealthBridge, the decisions that most significantly affect long-term outcomes include choosing the right post-acute facility (specialized, pediatric, and experienced with TBI), beginning rehabilitation as early as the child’s medical stability allows, maintaining consistent family presence and engagement throughout rehabilitation, advocating for adequate insurance coverage for the level of care the child needs, and building a long-term care team that extends beyond the inpatient stay.
You Don’t Have to Navigate This Alone
One of the things we hear most often from families who come to HealthBridge is that they wish someone had given them a clear roadmap earlier. They felt overwhelmed, unsure of what questions to ask, and uncertain about whether they were making the right decisions. If that’s where you are right now, please know: you are not alone, and you are asking the right questions.
HealthBridge is here to be a partner in your child’s recovery — not just a place your child goes for therapy. Our team is available to answer your questions, help you navigate the system, and walk alongside your family every step of the way.