The Great Bend Pilot Club held a proclamation signing with Mayor Cody Schmidt for Brain Awareness Week, March 14-20. Partner organizations worldwide, including Pilot International and the Pilot Club of Great Bend, are bringing awareness to people of all ages by raising consciousness on issues about brain related diseases and illness such as autism and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as injury prevention and brain safety to help prevent traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Throughout the year, the club supports the overall service focus of Pilot International, brain safety and brain research. It also assists those with brain-related disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, chemical dependency, traumatic brain injuries, cancer, autism and other developmental, emotional and mental disabilities.
Public outreach and education serve as a cornerstone to promote understanding of the brain and nervous system. Increasingly, Brain Awareness efforts are taking place year-round and compelling stories about the impact of neuroscience research is being shared with educators and the public.
To that end the Pilot Club of Great Bend is sponsoring its second Autism Spectrum Disorder workshop, “Strategies for Children with Autism at Home and in the Classroom,” from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at Barton Community College. The workshop is open to the public, educators and families associated with children with ASD, and all are encouraged to attend.
Register by going to greatbendpilotclub.com or Great Bend Pilot Club: www.eventbrite.com. There are some individual family scholarships available for the workshop. Ros Neeland, workshop coordinator, can be contacted to inquire about these scholarships. Master credit from Baker University is available and continuing education for social workers, OTs, PTs, SLPs and childcare providers.
Beyond disease and disorders, it is so important for people to have awareness around the prevalence of brain injury and the ways we can improve outcomes by educating ourselves now, so if we ever do have a loved one who suffers a brain injury, we can enlist all the resources we need to improve our loved one’s outcomes, Neeland said.
There are two types of brain injuries, acquired and traumatic. An acquired brain injury is the type that is a result of a disease, stroke, infection, lack of oxygen or seizures. A traumatic brain injury is a result of trauma to the head and brain, like a fall, car accident, concussion, shaken baby syndrome or penetration
Among traumatic brain injuries, concussions are the most common. They are caused when the brain is impacted by blows or wounds, and the person typically feels dazed if they retain consciousness. It may go undiagnosed if proper care is not taken.
An acquired or non-traumatic brain injury may be the result of stroke, diseases such as meningitis or encephalitis, seizures, electric shocks, tumors, lead or carbon monoxide poisoning, drowning, and choking among other causes.
The Pilot Club of Great Bend appreciates the community support in all of its various efforts to promote brain awareness and safety year-round.
