Cognitive-Communication Rehabilitation after Brain Injuries.

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) provide communicative and cognitive rehabilitation for people with brain injuries, and this article describes current assessment and treatment after a brain injury. Cognitive problems can affect attention, concentration, and memory, as well as metacognitive skills to self-monitor, control, and adjust one's thinking. Speech-language pathology (SLP) rehabilitation is initiated in acute inpatient settings and then through a continuum of inpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing facility, home care, and outpatient settings. Speech-language pathology helps adults with brain injury return to work; sports-related concussion care is provided in school settings. SLPs use assessment tools with normative comparisons to determine severity levels and treatment plans. Patient-centered approaches are used for assessment and treatment plans, to identify specific functional needs that may direct the treatment towards specific functional outcomes.