Strategies for Cognitive Challenges
The following strategies are to be used within an instructional design for students with TBI. The effectiveness of any strategy should be evaluated for each student.
- Expect to find unevenness across abilities. Educate the student’s family, teachers, and therapists that such unevenness is characteristic. It does not mean that one teacher is better than another or that one setting (home vs. school) is better.
- Make the student aware of areas of personal strength and difficulties. Students often are very distressed and frustrated by their inability to perform.
- Help the student and family recognize the importance of good rest, good nutrition, and a regular schedule to optimize the student’s consistency of everyday performance.
- Evaluate the student’s schedule carefully and make sure it includes a good mixture of non-academic subjects.
- Use real materials and hands-on activities as much as possible to supplement written or lecture material.
- Encourage the student to read aloud when studying text. This allows the information to be processed by different centers of the brain without taking more time. Create learning opportunities that bring the information into the student’s brain in different modalities.
- Equip yourself with knowledge of your student’s strengths and difficulties and gently guide the student into self-knowledge. Students tend to gravitate toward experiences and interests in line with their cognitive strengths. Examine the student’s interests carefully to see what vocational possibilities they suggest.
Adapted from:
Colorado Department of Education. (2001). Brain injury: A Manual for Educators.
