CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Mike Davis has seen straight-A students suffer brain injuries. When they return to school, they look like they're back to normal -- but they struggle to earn C's.

"Many times, children and parents think recovery's complete when, in fact, they're still having residual problems from the brain being damaged," said Davis, president of the Brain Injury Association of West Virginia.

On Thursday and Friday, the association and others will sponsor a conference called "My Child Has a Brain Injury" at the Ramada Inn in South Charleston.

The event, featuring national experts, is designed for parents, teachers and school personnel such as counselors and therapists, Davis said.

"It's a team approach in the school system to deal with brain injuries," he said.

Falls are the most common cause of brain injuries, followed by motor vehicle accidents, Davis said. Child abuse and sports also frequently cause the injury in children and teens.

Brain injuries can cause personality changes, memory loss, speech problems, loss of coordination and other problems. They can be misdiagnosed as a learning disability, behavioral disorder, autism, and mental retardation, Davis said.

"These children just fall through the cracks because they've not been identified or they're misdiagnosed," Davis said, "and that's just the beginning of it.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Mike Davis has seen straight-A students suffer brain injuries. When they return to school, they look like they're back to normal -- but they struggle to earn C's.

"Many times, children and parents think recovery's complete when, in fact, they're still having residual problems from the brain being damaged," said Davis, president of the Brain Injury Association of West Virginia.

On Thursday and Friday, the association and others will sponsor a conference called "My Child Has a Brain Injury" at the Ramada Inn in South Charleston.

The event, featuring national experts, is designed for parents, teachers and school personnel such as counselors and therapists, Davis said.

"It's a team approach in the school system to deal with brain injuries," he said.

Falls are the most common cause of brain injuries, followed by motor vehicle accidents, Davis said. Child abuse and sports also frequently cause the injury in children and teens.

Brain injuries can cause personality changes, memory loss, speech problems, loss of coordination and other problems. They can be misdiagnosed as a learning disability, behavioral disorder, autism, and mental retardation, Davis said.

"These children just fall through the cracks because they've not been identified or they're misdiagnosed," Davis said, "and that's just the beginning of it.

"Once they're identified, there has to be proper teaching strategies and other things put into place to help this child be successful," he said. "Otherwise, they're going to fail miserably."

Ronald Savage, president of the North American Brain Injury Society, will be the keynote speaker. Other guests include experts from the University of North Carolina's medical school, the Kansas Department of Education and the Colorado Department of Human Services.

"These are people that are absolutely on the cutting edge," Davis said. "The topnotch experts."

The conference fee is $125 and includes membership in the Brain Injury Association of West Virginia for 2010, lunch on both days, refreshments and a reception. The association has a limited amount of financial aid available, Davis said.

The event also will include training on Thursday by the Academy for Certification of Brain Injury Specialists. The training costs $250.

For more information, go here or call 304-766-4892.

Reach Alison Knezevich at alis...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1240.