0 Item(s)
Social Cognition and Communication in Acquired Brain Injury in Adolescents and Adults
Nonmember ($30.00) Member ($20.00)
Buy Now
Presented by:
Lyn S. Turkstra, Ph.D.
Professor and Assistant Dean, Rehabilitation Science; Faculty, Graduate Program in Neuroscience
McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, CANADA
Credit
CE:1.0
Description
“Social thinking” and social communication have been targets of acquired brain injury (ABI) rehabilitation for decades, with limited evidence of generalizable benefits. The lack of benefit may be due in part to the historical assessment and intervention focus on social symptoms, without considering underlying neuropsychological mechanisms. Research on social cognition in other clinical groups, particularly in autism, has spurred a growing interest in mechanisms underlying social problems in individuals with ABI and has informed rehabilitation targets and methods. In this session, we will summarize current research on social cognition and communication in adolescents and adults, and critically apply findings to rehabilitation of individuals with ABI. As social communication is, by definition, context-dependent, participants will also evaluate their own communication skills and styles and reflect on the contribution of communication partner behaviors to social symptoms in people with ABI. We also will consider other contextual factors that intersect with social cognition skills, such as sex, gender, race, and ethnicity. The aim of the session is to provide participants with a framework for assessment of, and intervention for, social cognition and communication problems in adolescents and adults with ABI.
Learning Objectives
Dr. Lyn S. Turkstra is a Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University, head of the graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology, and a faculty member in the McMaster Neuroscience Graduate Program. Her research focuses on understanding social communication challenges in adolescents and adults with acquired brain injury, and developing intervention strategies that will optimize long-term social outcomes. Dr. Turkstra was a member of the INCOG practice guidelines committee for TBI rehabilitation, funded by the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation and Monash University, and is a consultant to the Veterans Health System and Department of Defense for clinical practice guidelines in mild TBI. She lectures nationally and internationally on development of evidence-informed models of cognitive rehabilitation for adolescents and adults with ABI in acute, sub-acute, and long-term care settings.
Learning Objectives
After the session, participants will be able to:
1. Summarize current research on social cognition and communication in typical populations and individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI), and critique its potential application to clinical assessment and intervention.
2. Describe evidence that factors such as culture, race, sex, and age affect social communication, and identify principles that apply across groups.
3. Assess your own social communication skills and generate strategies to minimize examiner bias in assessment and intervention.
4. Contrast results from TBI research with results from other populations with social communication impairments, including individuals with social (pragmatic) communication disorder and autism spectrum disorder.
Target Audience: Neuropsychologists and trainees
Instructional Level: Intermediate
Dr. Lyn S. Turkstra is a Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University, head of the graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology, and a faculty member in the McMaster Neuroscience Graduate Program. Her research focuses on understanding social communication challenges in adolescents and adults with acquired brain injury, and developing intervention strategies that will optimize long-term social outcomes. Dr. Turkstra was a member of the INCOG practice guidelines committee for TBI rehabilitation, funded by the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation and Monash University, and is a consultant to the Veterans Health System and Department of Defense for clinical practice guidelines in mild TBI. She lectures nationally and internationally on development of evidence-informed models of cognitive rehabilitation for adolescents and adults with ABI in acute, sub-acute, and long-term care settings.