Try These 3 Engaging Activities for Children With Acquired Brain Injury

As a speech-language pathologist who has practiced for a few years now, I realize that I need to be a little more selfish. I think to myself, “What helps me be the best SLP I can be?” The answer for me involves a full stomach and choosing treatment tasks to create a fun session for my patients and me. Working primarily with children with acquired brain injury at a pediatric rehabilitation hospital, I constantly think of new ways to target functional skills for this population. I find three tasks particularly suited for targeting skills with these kids, while also providing a fun and interactive time for us both. Planning a party: Who doesn’t love a party? My parties typically occur for no reason other than I really want to eat cake and ice cream. Planning a party targets many components of executive functioning, such as time management, planning and organization. I usually complete this activity with a patient over multiple days, or even a couple of weeks. We start by designing the party and listing the needs. We then move to making invitations, creating decorations and setting up the party. Finally, we greet guests and make conversation with other party-goers. These tasks each involve multiple steps to follow, and patients enjoy the responsibility of making decisions. More on treating patients with acquired brain injury Is it possible to teach executive-function skills to people who have brain injuries? Absolutely, says cognitive rehab clinical researcher McKay Sohlbe...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Speech-Language Pathology Cognitive Rehabilitation Health Care Traumatic Brain Injury Source Type: blogs