Remediation and rehabilitation
Cognitive impairments in reasoning, memory, attention, goal-directed behaviour and self-awareness are significant impediments to independent functioning and quality of life for young people with brain injury. Brain injury rehabilitation involves two essential processes: restoration of functions that can be restored and learning how to do things differently when functions cannot be restored to pre-injury level.
Cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) is designed to improve neuro-cognitive abilities such as attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility and planning, and executive functioning which leads to improved social functioning. Cognitive remediation therapy is an intervention that consists of mental exercises aimed at improving cognitive strategies, thinking skills and information processing through practice. The goal of rehabilitation is to help the young person progress to the most independent level of functioning possible.
Therapy focuses on regaining lost skills as well as learning ways to compensate for abilities that have been permanently changed because of the brain injury. This service offers out-patient and community based remediation and rehabilitation interventions. The most effective community based therapy programs involve family members or support workers who can support the intervention.
Other interventions may include (click for more information):
• Environmental modiļ¬cations
• Psychosocial interventions
• Behavioural modification
• Cognitive behavioural therapy
• Family/Systemic therapy