STAGES OF REHIBILITATION

AWARENESS
This stage of rehabilitation includes:

• Understanding that one has had a head injury
• Understanding the cognitive deficits that have resulted because of the injury
• Understanding that the head injury is permanent
• Understanding that there are special techniques to work around the deficits

MALLEABILITY
This stage includes:

• Rebuilding empathy skills: Being able to put oneself in "someone else's shoes," and also allowing someone else to try to understand you.
• Staying open to working with a coach
• Working with a coach without arguing or debating
• Knowing when to ask for assistance, and when to rely on oneself
• Remaining flexible around others, and learning to "go with the flow"
• Not arm-wresting or debating with a coach.

COMPENSATION
This stage includes strategy learning and use:

• Assessing if one can be a "student": can they learn the strategies as taught?
• Can they apply the strategies they have learned when they receive a coaching cue or assistance
• Can they apply the strategies 100% independently without coaching assistance or cuing.
• If not, to what degree does a coach become a "strategy?"

ACCEPTANCE
This stage involves the emotional aspects of rehabilitation:

• Does the client understand that the brain injury is permanent without feeling overly saddened and depressed by that fact?
• Can the client identify positive qualities in themselves and others?
• Can they client enjoy their daily activities, even if they are different from pre-TBI activities or hobbies?
• Can they take joy in their current lives without becoming overly self-critical or negative? (In short, without becoming a "twisted pretzel?")
• Do they display self-esteem and self-confidence?
• Can they adapt a general attitude of "life goes on?"
• Can they speak for themselves and be their own "advocate" as necessary?