Social Communication After Brain Injury

This course explores the role of project-based intervention in improving communication skills and quality of life for people with acquired brain injury (ABI).

You will review the literature in detail and describe a six-week programme that was part of a published feasibility trial. The essential elements of this intervention will be described in detail. Goal setting will be discussed with examples of how to use Goal Attainment Scaling as an outcome to set social communication goals within a group treatment.

This course will also examine new and emerging approaches to working with social communication difficulties after TBI.

Who is it for?

This course is of interest to a range of rehabilitation professionals, including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Clinical Psychologists, Neuropsychologists and therapy assistants. During the development phase of the treatment, SLTs and OTs were consulted, ensuring that treatment had applicability beyond SLT, and its principles are not restricted to one rehabilitation profession.

Timetable

This course runs over one full day.

Benefits

The key takeaway from this course is the knowledge and ability to create a tangible end-product: project-based treatment for people with ABI.

By the end of the course you will be able to:

• Understand the relevant literature and essential elements of delivering project-based intervention for people with brain injury.
• Design a project for your patients/clients that could be used to improve communication skills in people with brain injury.
• Identify treatment outcomes that can be used to measure whether project-based intervention has been effective.
• Set social communication goals with people with brain injury and identify strategies to achieve those goals.
• Discuss a range of intervention approaches and identify some of the barriers that may affect delivery in public and private settings.

A copy of the treatment manual will be provided as part of your attendance.

Teaching

The teaching formats of this course include :

• PowerPoint lecture
• Question and answer
• Group discussion

Assessment

This course contains no formal assessment. You will receive a certificate of attendance upon completion of the course.

This course is mainly applicable to any rehabilitation professional or assistant working with people who have had a brain injury. However, the course may also be relevant to other clinical populations including, dementia (although this will not be directly discussed).

English requirements

For those students whose first language is not English the following qualification is also required:

• IELTS: 7.0

Behn, N., Marshall, J., Togher, L., & Cruice, M (2019) Feasibility and initial efficacy of project‐based treatment for people with ABI. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 54 (3), 465-478.

Feeney TJ, Capo M. Making meaning: The use of project-based supports for individuals with brain injury. Journal of Behavioral and Neuroscience Research. 2010;8(1):70-80.

Grant M, Ponsford J. Goal attainment scaling in brain injury rehabilitation: Strengths, limitations and recommendations for future applications. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation. 2014 Oct;24(5):661-77.

Togher L, Wiseman-Hakes C, Douglas J, Stergiou-Kita M, Ponsford J, Teasell R, Bayley M, Turkstra LS, Panel IE. INCOG recommendations for management of cognition following traumatic brain injury, part IV: Cognitive communication. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation. 2014 Jul-Aug;29(4):353-68.