TBIconneCT Clinician Manual: Connecting People Living with Traumatic Brain Injury to Conversation Training

Written by Written by Rachael Rietdijk, Emma Power, Melissa Brunner, Michelle Attard, Skye McDonald, Robyn Tate & Leanne Togher
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The TBIconneCT program is designed to improve conversations after traumatic brain injury, through working with both the person with TBI and a communication partner (family member, friend or carer). The program targets social communication skills that are commonly impaired after traumatic brain injury, as well as communication support skills that family members or carers can use to create more positive conversations.

Areas covered by the TBIconneCT program include:

• How does TBI affect communication
• Roles in conversation
• Working together well in conversations
• Keeping conversations going
• Effective speaking and listening skills
• Asking positive questions

The TBIconneCT program is a modified version of the TBI Express program. TBIconneCT was developed by a team of researchers: notably, Professor Leanne Togher from The University of Sydney and Associate Professor Emma Power from University of Technology Sydney. The key differences between TBIconneCT and TBI Express are:

• TBIconneCT is designed for delivery to individual participants (not in a group)
• TBIconneCT involves ten, 90-minute sessions
• TBIconneCT has been tested for both delivery in-person or via telehealth / telerehabilitation (videoconferencing, e.g. Skype)

The original TBI Express program is an evidence based intervention, with demonstrated efficacy in improving conversations and reducing frequency of communication problems. Feedback from participants was also very positive. The TBIconneCT program has also demonstrated positive outcomes in improving communication for people with traumatic brain injury in a pilot study. A clinical trial of the TBIconneCT program has now been completed with positive outcomes (see TBIconneCT YouTube channel for updates on publication of trial findings). Prior to publication, the clinician manual was road-tested by speech-language pathologists to ensure development of a user-friendly clinical resource. The TBIconneCT kit comprises a clinician manual and USB, including slides of module content, printable handouts, video resources and clinician notes to support delivery of each module.

TBI Express and TBI ConneCT were both designed to be conducted by speech pathologists, although there are instances when the program can be delivered by a psychologist in collaboration with speech pathology. It was developed using a multidisciplinary theoretical framework, but having speech pathology input is preferable when delivering the treatment.

Now available from ASSBI: TBIconneCT is a program for improving communication skills after traumatic brain injury. Visit the TBIconneCT YouTube channel for information for clinicians and families.

Walking throught the TBIconneCT

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