Therapy may then include speech and voice production work, as well. All patients receive a hearing screening and those with detected problems are referred to a specialist for more thorough evaluation. As discussed earlier, patients may demonstrate difficulties with cognitive functioning. For those individuals, work occurs to improve attention, memory, thought organization, reasoning and problem-solving. Improvement in these skills is facilitated by presenting structured cognitive tasks in a developmental sequence of easiest to more difficult learning tasks.
Structure is introduced into all tasks.
This involves decreasing the amount, complexity, rate and duration of information presented at any given time, and providing the patient with repetition and predictability. As each of the patients progress, the program will change in accordance with their abilities. Strong emotional support, with provision of a calm and predictable environment, is necessary. Becoming more familiar with the common stages of recovery in head trauma will help prepare you with the sometimes upsetting and surprising behaviors present. The more you understand about the progression of stages and what can be expected at each level, the better you will be able to provide a calm response.