Acquired Brain Injury
Concussions
Neurological Impairment Assessment & Interventions
The Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement guides occupational therapists to consider the dynamic relationship between an individuals’ physical, cognitive and psychological status, their physical and cultural and social environment, and their functionality in normal life (CAOT, 1997, 2007)Individuals that are experiencing post concussive symptoms or have been diagnosed with a non-complex or complex traumatic brain injury require specialized consideration of physical, cognitive, and emotional changes that can result from their injury.
In collaboration with multidisciplinary treatment professionals, Innovative's therapists utilize their experience and specialized training in concussion treatment as well brain injury recovery and rehabilitation, to formulate a clear path of treatment for the individual's they serve. Occupational therapists have the expertise to quantify individuals' function, while capturing their ability to participate in instrumental activities of daily living. We work to understand where difficulties lie in achieving daily tasks – which can include but are not limited to; self-care tasks, individuals’ cohabitants, in-home, interactions in the community, vocational background, academia, as well as recreation and leisure pursuits.
Our approach is to work with the injured individuals, their families, employers and other members of their community to help them achieve their optimal potential in both their recovery and rehabilitation goals. Occupational therapy can help each individual to manage their symptoms while assisting them to integrate/return to their pre-injury activities of daily living.
Through collaboration with the individual’s physicians and multidisciplinary treatment teams, Innovative can establish a clear path of treatment in all facets of their rehabilitation and recovery. This global approach to recovery assists to structure, execute and achieve improved outcomes for the individuals we serve.
Concussions
Reasoning
Planning, Processing Speed, Shifting
Memory
Short-term, Non-Verbal,
Visual Short-term, Auditory, Working, Naming, Contextual
Attention
Updating, Focused, Inhibition, Divided
Coordination
Hand-Eye, Response Time
Perception
Hand-Eye, Response Time
Our Occupational Therapy team is skilled in administering and analyzing functional cognitive assessments that address all cognitive skills. These assessments are completed both in person or over our secure virtual platform.
Our team, understands brain injury / concussion and consider the mechanism of injury in analyzing the clinical situation.
We incorporate relevant and current evidence-based research. We understand that "all concussions are considered to be a mTBI (Mild Traumatic Brain Injury)"; however mTBI is distinguished from concussions where there is evidence of intracranial injury on conventional neuroimaging or there is persistent neurological deficit."
(Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation Guidelines for Concussion / mTBI and Persistent Symptoms: 3rd Edition, published May 2018).
We recognize that following a concussion, many people continue to experience challenges even several months and years later in the absence of proper rehabilitation.
As an experienced team, we father information related to other factors which can magnify symptoms and affect daily function and we implement client-centered treatment to assist with these challenges.
Treatment
Our Occupational Therapy focus their intervention on relationship between our client's cognitive skills, functional performance, and the environmental context to enhance their daily life experience.
Innovative Occupational Therapy Services offers specialized cognitive rehabilitation through a four-step process in order to customize each individual's treatment.
1
Assess
2
Design
3
Implement
4
Achieve
Cognitive Remediation
Cognitive Compensatory Strategy Training
Education and Strategy Training
Therapeutic Activity Engagement
Reduce cognitive deficits to improve daily function through practise and education.
Develop a means for bypassing or compensating for the weak / impaired cognitive skill.
Develop strategies for coping with other cognitive-related challenges such as sleep, mode, and nutrition.
Practice cognitive remedial & compensatory strategies in meaningful, real-life situations (ie. learning a new language)
In designing a cognitive rehabilitation program, Innovative Occupational Therapy consideres several methodologies
Behavioural Impairment
Behavioural impairments may often be related to brain injury, developmental disorders, and/or psychological trauma. Our team is experienced is assessing our clients within the context of their natural environment (home, community, school, group home setting, work, etc.). As part of related to the identified behaviour.
Our team works closely with families, educators, and/or employers to modify the environment, triggers and to develop and implement behavioural scripts to work towards extinguishing negative behaviour. Our team works to identify and treat the root of the behavioural trigger which can result from untreated trauma, sensory deficits, and/or frontal lobe impairments.