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Acquired Brain Injury
Any person can potentially develop an acquired brain injury. Every year in the UK many people are involved in accidents which can lead to such disabilities. Acquired brain injury is not to be confused with intellectual disability. People with a brain injury may have difficulty controlling, coordinating and communicating their thoughts and actions but they usually retain their intellectual abilities. Brain injury has dramatically varied effects and no two people can expect the same outcome or resulting difficulties. Furthermore it is not uncommon for people with an ABI (Acquired Brain Injury) to present with challenging behaviours.
We have extensive experience of working with services that cater for people with an ABI. Our philosophy of work in this area is straightforward, people with an ABI are 'people first' and disabled second. We adopt person centred approaches to the management of their behavioural difficulties.
Much of our work in this area comprises comprehensive assessments of need, focussing on every aspect of the client’s life that may need support. Assessment in turn lead to the production of a detailed support plan which is an ‘active’ document which can be amended and updated as the client’s condition, behaviour and management change.
The various elements of support available are :
- Assessments for individuals affected (including psychological, cognitive, psychiatric and vulnerability aspects)
- One to one work and counselling with individuals and within group settings
- Care plans, interventions and therapies together with monitoring and evaluation of effectiveness
- Follow up reports and ongoing assessments
- Liaison with outside agencies and professionals
- Staff support and training to help empower carers to make assessments, enhance their counselling skills, monitor and improve the effectiveness of care plans themselves
- One to one or group work with staff members to assist them in coping with their work pressures
Please click here to read a case study of the work Studio III does in the area of Aquired Brain Injury
Contact us on 01225-334111 to arrange a confidential discussion with one of our specialists or use our contact us page
Anisha is a 33 year old lady with a diagnosis of Moya Moya disease. She has paralysis in all four limbs which is secondary to bleeds in her brain caused by her disease. Her ability to communicate verbally is restricted by her physical paralysis and she generally communicates “yes” or “no” by lifting or lowering her right thumb.
Anisha was referred to Studio III Clinical Services for a psychometric assessment with the aim of providing staff with a better understanding of her cognitive/intellectual abilities.
Due to Anisha’s restricted ability to communicate and carry out practical tasks, the examiner adapted a range of psychometric tests. The tests carried out sampled visual recognition, visual reasoning, verbal comprehension, immediate and delayed auditory recall, orientation to time, place and person and abstract reasoning.
The assessment indicated that when fully alert Anisha was well orientated to time, place and person and displayed good verbal comprehension and memory for verbal information. She also appeared to have good abstract thinking skills. She did appear to have a weakness with visual recognition, visual memory and visual reasoning which appeared to be associated with her difficulties with her peripheral vision.
It was apparent that Anisha was making sense of verbal communication from others. In view of the complex nature of the assessment and the use of a non-standardised approach it was not possible to produce a reliable IQ score. However, on the basis of the tests used Anisha was decided to appear to be functioning at least within the low average range.
Recommendations were based on the results obtained and focussed on how to communicate with Anisha and provide her with a regular routine and structured stimulation throughout the day. Staff stated that the recommendations were particularly helpful in enabling them to understand Anisha’s difficulties and increase her quality of life.
