Peer group training of pragmatic skills in adolescents with acquired brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
To empirically evaluate a method of treating adolescents with cognitive communication disorders, including pragmatic deficits, secondary to acquired brain injury (ABI) in a group setting by objectively measuring outcomes before treatment and immediately after treatment and at 6 months posttreatment.


METHODS
A before-after trial with follow-up in a consecutive sample, with no control group.


METHODS
Inpatient and outpatient pediatric rehabilitation center.


METHODS
Adolescents who demonstrated pragmatic deficits and scored a rating of 3 or less on each subdomain of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Rating Scale of Pragmatic Communication Skills (RICE-RSPCS) were eligible for the study. Eight subjects were recruited into the study, and two subjects were lost to follow-up. Thus, six of the eight completed the study.


METHODS
RICE-RSPCS, Communication Performance Scale (CPS).


RESULTS
Clinically relevant and statistically significant (P <.01) changes occurred during the treatment and were maintained at follow-up for the four RICE-RSPCS subscales and the CPS.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the potential and often typical long-term pragmatic and subsequent social difficulties associated with ABI can possibly be lessened through effective intervention.
Wiseman-Hakes
C
C
NeuroRehabilitation Program, Bloorview MacMillan Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Stewart
M L
ML
Wasserman
R
R
Schuller
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003071:Cognition; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes; D010379:Peer Group; D012951:Socialization; D016896:Treatment Outcome