IMPACT: Intervention for Metacognition and Social Participation, an Acquired Cognitive-Communication Disorder Treatment (PDF version only)

Written by Anna Copley, Emma Finch, Jenny Fleming, Petrea Cornwell, Emmah Doig
AU$155

“IMPACT - Intervention for Metacognition and Social Participation: an Acquired Cognitive-Communication Disorder Treatment” is an empirically tested program designed to remediate cognitive communication disorders. “IMPACT” was developed by Speech Pathologists, Anna Copley, Emma Finch, and Petrea Cornwell and Occupational Therapists, Jennifer Fleming and Emmah Doig. Initially designed for people with traumatic brain injuries it is also suitable for any population in need of cognitive-communication treatment and is designed specifically for clients with cognitive-communication disorder resulting from traumatic brain injury.

The cognitive-communication rehabilitation program has been empirically tested and shown to be effective in a randomized controlled trial .  “IMPACT” is designed to encompass several theoretical and empirically established principals of remediation, including metacognition and goal-directed training in cognitive-communication. Learning and motivation is enhanced by integration of meaningful and functional activities. Cognitive-communication skills are developed using a step-by-step instructional approach with ecologically valid cognitive-communication intervention tasks.

The “IMPACT” cognitive communication treatment program is designed for a minimum of two clients, their significant others and a therapist. The clinician manual includes detailed session plans and clinical examples for 6 individual and 6 group sessions and the client manual contains a complete set of templates and handouts for the entire rehabilitation program. Session 1 establishes education around metacognitive strategies, group membership and goal setting. Sessions 2-5 focuses on implementation of self-regulation and goal directed behaviour with opportunity for practice and feedback. Session 6 involves reflection and review of metacognitive strategies for future use and further development. Overall, this program represents a theoretically sound and empirically validated and programmatic intervention for cognitive communication disorders.