TEACH-M: Teaching Assistive Technology following TBI

Funded by:

National Institutes of Health–National Center on Medical and Rehabilitation Research–R03

Project Period:

August 1, 2007 – July 31, 2010

Project Contact:

Project Director/Principal Investigator:

Co-Investigator:

Description:

The TEACH-M study evaluated empirically validated instructional techniques from research in special education and neuropsychological rehabilitation. The goal of this study was to expand our previous research by examining the effectiveness of the TEACH-M instructional package compared with conventional instruction in training 30 individuals with TBI to use a personal digital assistant (PDA). A randomized control, design with repeated measures was used to compare performance across two types of instruction: systematic instruction (TEACHM) and conventional instruction (i.e., trial-and-error learning). Outcome measures included pre-post and 30-day maintenance probes of performance on selected PDA tasks. We are currently analyzing study results. We hypothesize that the TEACH-M instructional package will result in more efficient task performance, better maintenance, and faster and higher rates of task mastery. Also, participants will prefer TEACH-M over conventional instruction. This study addresses the critical lack of experimental evidence evaluating instruction as an essential component of successful AT use.

Publications:

Ehlhardt Powell, L., Glang, A., Ettel, D., Todis, B., Sohlberg, M. M., & Albin, R. (in press). Systematic instruction for individuals with acquired brain injury: Results of a randomized controlled trial, Neuropsychological Rehabilitation.

Ehlhardt, L., Sohlberg, M.M., Glang, A., & Albin, R. (2005). TEACH-M: A pilot study evaluating an instructional sequence for persons with impaired memory and executive functions. Brain Injury, 19(8), 569-583.

Ehlhardt, L., Sohlberg, M.M., Kennedy, M., Coelho, C., Ylvisaker, M., Turkstra, L., Yorkston, K. (2008).  Evidence-based practice guidelines for instructing individuals with acquired memory impairments: What have we learned in the past 20 years? Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 18(3), 300-342.

Ehlhardt, L., Sublette, P., & Glang, A. (2010). Effective instruction: Optimizing outcomes following ABI. Brain Injury Professional, 7(2), 8-13.