Brain injury
Targeted early intervention after an injury to the developing brain.
A brain injury means the brain has been harmed by something that happened, rather than by how it formed. That might be a difficult birth or a period without enough oxygen, an infection such as meningitis, a head injury, or a stroke. It can happen before birth, around the time of birth, or at any point in childhood.
The developing brain is not fixed. Depending on the injury and your child's age, other areas can take on some of the work — which is why what happens in the months and years afterwards matters so much. How much changes, and in which areas, differs from child to child. An assessment is how that picture becomes clear rather than guessed at.
What parents often notice
- •Milestones that slowed, stopped or went backwards after an illness or injury
- •Weakness, stiffness, or reduced use of one side of the body
- •Changes in attention, memory or behaviour that began after a particular event
- •Tiredness, headaches, or new difficulty coping with noise and light
- •Changes in speech, feeding or swallowing
- •Difficulty at school that does not fit how your child managed before
Every child is different, and noticing one or two of these doesn't mean your child has brain injury. If you're unsure, an assessment brings clarity.
How Geniuslane helps
A detailed assessment that maps which abilities are affected and — just as importantly — which are intact.
A programme built from that map and aimed at specific skills, rather than the same set of therapies every child receives.
Multidisciplinary input, which may include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and psychology, working to one shared plan.
Re-assessment at each review, so progress is measured rather than assumed.
Practical support for home and school, and guidance for parents throughout.
Worried about your child?
Our specialists assess and support children in person across India and the UK, or online. A real person calls you back within 24 hours.
Common questions
My child had a difficult birth. Does that mean they have a brain injury?
Not on its own. Many children who had a difficult birth go on to develop typically. A difficult birth is one thing a specialist weighs alongside how your child is developing now — it is a reason to have development checked, not a diagnosis in itself.
Can the brain recover?
Injured tissue does not grow back, but a developing brain can often reorganise, and children do make progress — sometimes a great deal of it. How much, and in which areas, varies widely and cannot be predicted from the injury alone. We would rather assess your child and review progress with you than promise an outcome.
When does a head injury need emergency care?
This is general information, not emergency advice. After a head injury, seek emergency care straight away if your child loses consciousness, has a seizure, vomits repeatedly, becomes unusually drowsy or hard to wake, seems confused, has weakness or numbness, has clear fluid coming from the nose or ears, or has a headache that keeps getting worse. If you are worried at all, have them seen. Our assessments are for development after an injury, not for the injury itself.
How is this different from cerebral palsy?
They overlap. Cerebral palsy describes lasting difficulty with movement and posture, and an early brain injury is one of the things that can cause it. But a child can have a brain injury without having cerebral palsy, and a brain injury can affect attention, memory, speech or behaviour as much as movement.
Is it too late to start?
Earlier is generally better, simply because more development is still ahead. But children keep developing throughout childhood and adolescence, and an assessment is worth having at any age — it tells you where your child is now and what is most likely to help from here.
Where we can see your child
Brain injury assessment and support is available at every Geniuslane centre, and online wherever you are.
Related care
This page is general information to help parents, not a medical diagnosis or a substitute for professional advice. Every child is different. For a diagnosis or personalised guidance, book an assessment with our team. In an emergency, contact your local emergency services.