About
Mission
In alignment with the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education’s mission, vision, and goals, the Arkansas Brain Injury Support Program’s mission is to promote positive outcomes for students with brain injury by providing leadership, support, and services to students with brain injury.
Who We Serve
The Arkansas Brain Injury Support Program works with public school teams to support the needs of
students with acquired brain injury from either traumatic (TBI) or nontraumatic (tumors, stroke, etc.) causes. Our team collaborates with state agencies including hospitals, clinics, community providers, and university programs to improve
coordination of services for students with neurodiversity. Provided
through a tiered system, services include:
Services We Provide
General Assistance
- Website with up-to-date information on pediatric brain injury
- Resources including access to webinars, a loan program of assessments, and tools to assist with educational programming
- In-person and online professional learning opportunities offered statewide
- Quarterly newsletter with a calendar of upcoming professional learning opportunities, brain injury information, and other useful resources
Targeted Assistance
- Partnerships with regional cooperatives and local school districts to build capacity for the support of students with brain injury
- Professional learning cadres on specific topics, such as executive function
Intensive Assistance
- School team consultation on student specific brain injury education programming including school re-entry following brain injury
- Referrals can be made through CIRCUIT
Brain Injury Specialist
Amy Goddard, MS, OTR/L, ATP, CBIS is the Brain Injury Specialist at the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Special Education. She received her bachelor’s degree from East Carolina University and a master’s degree from Mt. Mary University. She is registered by the National Board of Certification for Occupational Therapy and licensed by the Arkansas State Medical Board. Amy is a RESNA Certified Assistive Technology Professional and Certified Brain Injury Specialist.
Amy began her career practicing in the post-acute rehabilitation and school settings working with neurodiverse pediatric clients. She transitioned to the Children’s Rehabilitation Center at Easterseals Arkansas for several years where she was therapy director. She joined Easterseals Outreach in 2010 as an occupational therapy consultant and assistive technology specialist, leading two state-level projects. Amy continues to be a practicing clinician at St. Vincent’s Rehabilitation Center where she enjoys working with adults with brain injury during their recovery. She has presented at the state and national level on various topics including assistive technology, self-regulation, feeding/swallowing, apraxia, and brain injury.
Amy was appointed by Governor Beebe to serve on the Traumatic Brain Injury Task Force in 2006. Governor Hutchinson appointed her to serve on the Governor’s Commission on People with Disabilities where she sat on the executive board. She is currently the Secretary for the Arkansas Occupational Therapy Association. Amy also represents Arkansas on two national consortiums; the American Occupational Therapy Association State Leaders in School-Based Therapy community of practice and on the State Leaders of Assistive Technology in Education group.
Amy’s research interests include multi-tiered systems of support, systems change, brain injury, assistive technology, and school-based occupational and physical therapy. Amy and her husband, Clayton, have three sons and live on a small farm in Cabot. She enjoys running, traveling, and riding horses in her free time.