INTERVENTIONS and STRATEGIES to ADDRESS COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION

Attentional Difficulties

Recommendation: Attentional challenges are best addressed within the context of integrated treatment focused on compensatory strategies and the executive functioning domain. Integrative and holistic approaches considering specific patient complaints and therapist-directed attentional training are recommended.

Clinical Resources

·       mTBI Rehabilitation Toolkit. Chapter 7.  http://www.cs.amedd.army.mil/FileDownloadpublic.aspx?docid=e454f2ce-00ae-4a2d-887d-26d5474c8d1a

o   Improving Attention and Speed of processing (pp. 230-233).

o   Clinician Tip Sheets

§  Inventory of Attention/Speed of processing Difficulties (p.231)

§  Experiencing Attention levels (p. 231)

§  Overview of Strategies to Cope with Attention and Speed-of-Processing Difficulties (p. 232)

§  Strategies to Improve Attention – Identifying High and Low Demands Tasks (p.233)

§  Menu of Strategies Based on Attention Hierarchy (p. 233)

§  Practice Tasks for Attention Strategy Rehearsal and Transfer (p. 233)

o   Table 7-2: Possible Strategies Based on Patients’ Vulnerabilities Associated with Specific Levels of Attention (p. 234).

o   Table 7-3: Examples of Attention-Related Practice Tasks (pp. 235-236)