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Rehabilitation Team
Rehabilitation professionals
need to be aware of the roles and responsibilities of team members so they
can collaborate effectively to assist a TBI survivor in living independently.
The composition of professionals on the rehabilitation team is dictated
on an individual basis and depends on a person's needs. Tanchak and
Sawyer (1995, p. 67) define professional involvement:
Speech-Language Pathologist
 aCoordinates
team
aAssesses
understanding of language, use of language, and interaction patterns of
different communication partners
aAssesses
muscle control for speech, pronunciation of speech sounds and prognosis
for improvement
aAssesses
reading comprehension (Fletcher, 1997)
aAssesses
auditory comprehension (Fletcher, 1997)
aEvaluates
ability to sequence (Fletcher, 1997)
aEvaluates
use of nonverbal communication
aDetermines
appropriate vocabulary for use with AAC systems
aRecommends
types of specialized communication aids and techniques
Occupational Therapist
aEvaluates
muscle control of different body parts with and without special equipment
aEvaluates
hand functioning (Fletcher, 1997)
aEvaluates
fine motor abilities (Fletcher, 1997)
aAssesses
visual acuity, visual scanning, visual perception, and visual fields
aAssesses
seating
aActivities
of daily living (ADL)
aInstrumental
activities of daily living (IADL)
Physical Therapist
aAssesses
seating and positioning
aEvaluates
muscle strength, range of movement, flexibility, balance, and coordination
aAssesses
mobility issues and system transportation
Family and TBI Survivor
aCenter
of the team (Dawes, 2000)
aFinalizes
team decisions to fit needs of the individual (Dawes, 2000)
aReinforcement,
maintenance, and training of technology (Dawes, 2000)
aReinforces,
maintains, and trains the survivor
aJoins
treatment session to facilitate generalization (Jaffe, Mastrilli, Molitor,
& Valko, 1985)
aProvides
significant background information (Jaffe et al., 1985)
aEstablishes
good relationship with staff (Jaffe et al., 1985)
Adding non-traditional
team members could help improve the groups problem solving skills (e.g.,
Educator, Special Educator, Recreation Therapist, Psychologist, Audiologist,
Nursing Staff, Dietician) and offer valuable insights (Dawes, 2000). |