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Recovery and Outcome from Acquired Brain Injury
HOW TO WORK WITH THE BRAIN-INJURED CHILD AT DIFFERENT COGNITIVE LEVELS
Level VII — Automatic/Appropriate
The child can go through his or her daily routine automatically but cannot deal with unexpected situations. She has a superficial understanding of her condition but no real insight and is likely to be unrealistic about the future.
- The child may feel completely normal at this point and not see the need for continued treatment. That is actually not correct. Deficits related to memory and thinking skills generally persist at this point in recovery. You will need to be strong in the support of continued treatment.
- Communicate with the child's rehabilitation doctor regarding restriction on driving, use of over-the-counter medications, drinking and other activities in the case of the older child. The child's own assessment of herself is usually not accurate.
- Discuss daily activities frequently with the child, adding detail to assist in expanding memory. Support continued journal writing.
- Help to fill in gaps in memory for events immediately preceding the accident, as appropriate for the child's age. Some will have permanent memory loss for this time.
- Talk in a normal fashion. Remember, however, that the child will not catch subtle humor and is apt to interpret words very literally. This can lead to misunderstanding of what is said, so be very explicit when you speak.