National Treatment Program for Children and Young Adults with NAH (Acquired Brain Injury) presented by Researchers Menno van der Holst and Arend de Kloet.

There is a new national treatment program for children and young adults with NAH (acquired brain injury). This is important, because this way the care for this group is getting better and better.

Researchers Menno van der Holst and Arend de Kloet of Basalt Rehabilitation have been working together for several years in the field of non-congenital brain injury (NAH). Together with colleagues, they are conducting research into the care needs of children and young people with NAH and their families. First with the project ‘Participate?!’ and later with the follow-up project ‘Join Next Step’. They have now developed a national treatment program for medical specialist rehabilitation (MSR) to help young people with NAH better and better. On 10 February, this new treatment program was presented to the Netherlands Brain Foundation. De Kloet: “We are very proud. It is very special that fifteen rehabilitation centers across the country have worked together so intensively and confidentially to make this new program possible.”

Forgotten group

Every year, more than 20,000 children and young people in the Netherlands are told that they have acquired brain injury (NAH). NAH occurs, for example, after an accident, a fall or a blow to the head. Or due to a stroke, brain tumor or inflammation in the brain.

“We thought for a long time that the impact of NAH on young people was not too bad,” says De Kloet. “Young brains will recover, or so it was often thought. That turns out not to be the case at all. We often see permanent complaints such as fatigue, overstimulation and concentration problems. Moreover, NAH affects the whole family. That is why a good national treatment program was needed.” That’s there now. Because every brain injury is different, the treatment of every child or young person with NAH will ultimately be different. But with this new national treatment program, it is now possible to work in the same way in every center for specialist medical rehabilitation. It is also clear to everyone what is possible in terms of diagnostics, interventions and patient information. De Kloet: “The basis is now there. Our next step is to investigate which treatments have proven to give the best results and what is still missing in the range. We are now going to work on that.”

Why does the Brain Foundation support this project?

The projects Participate?! in Join Next Step are committed to ensuring that children and young people with NAH receive the same care, attention and guidance everywhere in the Netherlands. In this way, these projects contribute to the mission of the Hersenstichting: healthy brains for everyone.

More projects

The Hersenstichting is also committed to children and young people with brain injury in other ways. Read more below about the projects that help this group to participate again in society, with school, work and in the family:

• The Breinstraat platform was created for and by young people with NAH from the age of 12. These young people can ‘meet’ each other here and find all kinds of information and videos on the platform. In addition, they can share their own experiences here to help others.
• If a child has NAH, it has an impact on the entire family. The children’s book ‘May I also ff?’ is specially written for brothers and sisters aged 8 to 14 and for the rest of the family. The book can be ordered here for free.
• Playful Brain is a workbook for parents with children up to four years old with a vulnerable brain. The workbook helps them to stimulate their child’s development in a fun way.