Cognitive rehabilitation is incredibly important for those facing challenges that have resulted from impairment, injury, or neurological conditions. At Conscious Healthcare SA, our team of occupational therapists, speech pathologists, and psychologists can assist NDIS participants with cognitive impairments to improve their capabilities with a range of therapies, strategies, and aids. Read all about cognitive rehabilitation and who it can help below.
Cognitive rehabilitation is incredibly important for those facing challenges that have resulted from impairment, injury, or neurological conditions. At Conscious Healthcare SA, our team of occupational therapists, speech pathologists, and psychologists can assist NDIS participants with cognitive impairments to improve their capabilities with a range of therapies, strategies, and aids. Read all about cognitive rehabilitation and who it can help below.
A More Targeted Form Of Therapy That Employs The Following Approaches:
Restorative approach: The restorative approach within cognitive rehabilitation focuses on exercises and strategies that aim to improve brain function. This can include techniques such as memory games and attention training.
Compensatory approach: If restorative approaches don’t work for certain aspects of a client’s cognitive rehabilitation, then compensatory approaches will be implemented. These teach alternative ways to complete tasks in day-to-day life, including the use of reminders, checklists, and assistive technologies.
Functional training: This involves taking cognitive skills and practising them in real-life activities such as work, self-care, and social interactions. The therapist assisting in cognitive rehabilitation may also be present during these training sessions or they’ll arrange to have a loved one or trusted caretaker present..png?width=22&height=22&name=Brand%20Icons%20(2).png){kind=small}
Behavioural strategies: Cognitive rehabilitation can be a very slow and, at times, arduous journey for the client. Behavioural strategies help them manage any frustration, impulsivity or heightened emotional responses they have concerning their cognitive challenges.
A More Targeted Form Of Therapy That Employs The Following Approaches:
Restorative approach: The restorative approach within cognitive rehabilitation focuses on exercises and strategies that aim to improve brain function. This can include techniques such as memory games and attention training.Compensatory approach: If restorative approaches don’t work for certain aspects of a client’s cognitive rehabilitation, then compensatory approaches will be implemented. These teach alternative ways to complete tasks in day-to-day life, including the use of reminders, checklists, and assistive technologies.Functional training: This involves taking cognitive skills and practising them in real-life activities such as work, self-care, and social interactions. The therapist assisting in cognitive rehabilitation may also be present during these training sessions or they’ll arrange to have a loved one or trusted caretaker present.Behavioural strategies: Cognitive rehabilitation can be a very slow and, at times, arduous journey for the client. Behavioural strategies help them manage any frustration, impulsivity or heightened emotional responses they have concerning their cognitive challenges.
Boosting Memory
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Association and visualisation: The client is guided on how to link new information to concepts they’re familiar with or by using mental imagery.Chunking: The client takes larger information and breaks it down into smaller, more digestible units (e.g. breaking a phone number down into smaller groupings of numbers).Spaced repetition: Improving the memory and information retention of clients by having them recall the information at increased time intervals over and over.Mnemonics and acronyms: The client creates simpler patterns or associations that make it easier for them to remember important information.
Additional aids: The client makes use of aids such as calendars, alarms, sticky notes, or helpful apps that support their efforts to recall information.
Improving attention
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Mindfulness and meditation: The fundamentals of meditation and mindfulness encourage clients to enhance their focus on specific sensations, thoughts, or emotions without judgment to feel a greater sense of equilibrium and be more connected to the current moment while still reducing cognitive overload.Sustained attention exercises: This gets a client to practice focusing on a single task for extended periods. Common exercises could include reading or engaging in puzzles.Selective attention training: The client learns how to filter distractions by undertaking tasks that require them to ignore background noise or unrelated stimuli and information.Task simplification and breaks: This is the simple approach of breaking tasks down into smaller steps and having set rest periods to maintain longer-term concentration.Divided attention tasks: The client undertakes purposeful multitasking exercises, such as listening to instructions while performing a separate task.
Improve problem-solving
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Cognitive flexibility training: The client is encouraged to implement alternative thinking strategies, fostered through activities such as puzzles or creative problem-solving games.Step-by-step approach: The client is taught structured methods to identify problems, formulate solutions, and assess the outcomes of their solutions.Real-life scenarios/role-playing: A therapist works with the client to practice decision-making in everyday situations, such as budgeting and navigating new locations.Errorless learning: The client is guided on how to prevent mistakes and develop correct responses more reliably. This is commonly taught to children who may have some degree of cognitive or learning difficulties.Metacognitive strategies: This is where a therapist works with a client and has them reflect on their own thought processes and where adjustments could be made to facilitate better decision-making outcomes.
Boosting Memory
Association and visualisation: The client is guided on how to link new information to concepts they’re familiar with or by using mental imagery.Chunking: The client takes larger information and breaks it down into smaller, more digestible units (e.g. breaking a phone number down into smaller groupings of numbers).Spaced repetition: Improving the memory and information retention of clients by having them recall the information at increased time intervals over and over.Mnemonics and acronyms: The client creates simpler patterns or associations that make it easier for them to remember important information.
Additional aids: The client makes use of aids such as calendars, alarms, sticky notes, or helpful apps that support their efforts to recall information.
Improving attention
Mindfulness and meditation: The fundamentals of meditation and mindfulness encourage clients to enhance their focus on specific sensations, thoughts, or emotions without judgment to feel a greater sense of equilibrium and be more connected to the current moment while still reducing cognitive overload.Sustained attention exercises: This gets a client to practice focusing on a single task for extended periods. Common exercises could include reading or engaging in puzzles.Selective attention training: The client learns how to filter distractions by undertaking tasks that require them to ignore background noise or unrelated stimuli and information.Task simplification and breaks: This is the simple approach of breaking tasks down into smaller steps and having set rest periods to maintain longer-term concentration.Divided attention tasks: The client undertakes purposeful multitasking exercises, such as listening to instructions while performing a separate task.
Improve problem-solving
Cognitive flexibility training: The client is encouraged to implement alternative thinking strategies, fostered through activities such as puzzles or creative problem-solving games.Step-by-step approach: The client is taught structured methods to identify problems, formulate solutions, and assess the outcomes of their solutions.Real-life scenarios/role-playing: A therapist works with the client to practice decision-making in everyday situations, such as budgeting and navigating new locations.Errorless learning: The client is guided on how to prevent mistakes and develop correct responses more reliably. This is commonly taught to children who may have some degree of cognitive or learning difficulties.Metacognitive strategies: This is where a therapist works with a client and has them reflect on their own thought processes and where adjustments could be made to facilitate better decision-making outcomes.
You may find the following possible through VR:
Memory training: These can simulate real-world tasks (e.g. grocery shopping, navigating an unknown space) that allow clients to practice recall and navigation.Problem-solving and executive functioning: Virtual challenges offered through VR, such as puzzles, escape rooms, and financial planning exercises, can all be used to strengthen a client’s decision-making skills.Attention and focus: VR can be used to create distraction-heavy scenarios that allow a client to improve their selective attention and become better at maintaining focus in distractable settings.
You may find the following possible through VR:
Memory training: These can simulate real-world tasks (e.g. grocery shopping, navigating an unknown space) that allow clients to practice recall and navigation.Problem-solving and executive functioning: Virtual challenges offered through VR, such as puzzles, escape rooms, and financial planning exercises, can all be used to strengthen a client’s decision-making skills.Attention and focus: VR can be used to create distraction-heavy scenarios that allow a client to improve their selective attention and become better at maintaining focus in distractable settings.
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