After an injury involving the brain, many people lose the ability for perform simple tasks that they once did, such as brushing their teeth, driving a car, or writing their name. An injury such as this can have an incredible impact on the person s quality of life, and much help is needed in these situations. Cognitive rehabilitation is a therapy that is designed to do just that; to help the injured person regain their strength, perception and life skills which they seemingly have lost. This therapy provides hope and understanding to those who so desperately need it.
Who Benefits From Cognitive Rehabilitation?
Cognitive rehabilitation is offered as a positive solution to meeting the needs of persons with a brain injury or other mental problem. The primary beneficiaries of this therapy are those who have lost the ability to make simple decisions, or who have never developed their mental faculties in order to finish even the smallest task, such as dressing themselves. Those with ADD/ADHD or other related disorders can also benefit from cognitive rehabilitation, often learning skills for the first time that they have not been able to prior because of lack of self-control or fine motor skills.
What Are The Goals Of Cognitive Rehabilitation?
Those who are recovering from brain injury often desire to participate in many normal activities, yet are unable due to the damage. With cognitive rehabilitation, one main goal is to relearn certain mental abilities while strengthening the intact functions already known. Social skills are also affected many times, so learning how to interact with others if often a main focus as well. Learning how to manage anger and impulsivity is important, as many emotional functions are lost with a brain injury, so relearning in this area is vital. Another goal is to teach new skills to the patient in addition to those that the patient is just relearning.
What Is The Treatment Plan Of Cognitive Rehabilitation?
Cognitive rehabilitation therapy employs various treatment approaches to those in need of help. Psychotherapy is offered to help with issues such as anger management and depression, as patients often experience a multitude of problems with coping with every day difficulties of their condition. Visual and auditory tasks and training are employed, as well as memory training and EEG feedback. Each person s program is highly individualized to meet their specific needs and can provide amazing results as well.