COGNITIVE REHABILITATION PROGRAM FOR HEAD INJURED ADULTS

THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP, VALIDATE, AND MARKET A FUNCTIONAL-INTEGRATED REHABILITATION CURRICULUM FOR USE WITH HEAD INJURED ADULTS. THE CURRICULUM WILL FOCUS ON EMBEDDING COGNITIVE RESTRAINING INTO DAILY, FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITES OF HEAD INJURED INDIVIDUALS AS A COMPLEMENT TO TRADITIONAL COGNITIVE REMEDIATION STRATEGIES. THE CURRICULUM WILL CONSIST OF A PRESCRIPTIVE ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL, PROCEDURES FOR DESIGNING AND DELIVERING INSTRUCTION, PROCEDURES FOR TRAINING NONTRADITIONAL INSTRUCTORS (E.G., FAMILY MEMBERS) IN DELIVERY OF INSTRUCTION, AND PROCEDURES FOR OUTCOME EVALUATION. THE CURRICULUM WILL INCORPORATE "DIRECT INSTRUCTION: DESIGN AND DELIVERY TECHNOLOGY AND WILL BE THE FIRST BROAD APPLICATION OF DIRECT INSTRUCTION WITH HEAD INJURED ADULTS. IN PHASE I, CURRICULUM DESIGN REQUIREMENTS WILL BE ESTABLISHED AND THE UTILITY OF INCORPORATING TRADITIONAL COGNITIVE REHABILITATION AND DIRECT INSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES INTO THE CURRICULUM DESIGN WILL BE EXAMINED. A PROTOTYPE WILL BE DEVELOPED BASED ON THIS EVALUATION AND INPUT FROM PROSPECTIVE USERS--BOTH HEAD INJURED INDIVIDUALS, THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, AND CLINICIANS. IN PHASE II, THE PROTOTYPE WILL BE TESTED AND REFINED, AS NEEDED. A LARGE-SCALE EFFICACY STUDY OF THE FINAL CURRICULUM WILL BE PERFORMED. PHASE II WILL CONCLUDE WITH PRODUCTION OF THE FINAL CURRICULUM.