title: Educational action in the rehabilitation of severe acquired brain injuries: the role of self-awareness.
abstract: Severe acquired brain injuries (ABI) cause a range of short-or long-term limitations in physical and neuropsychological abilities. The aim of rehabilitation is to promote the harmonious development of the individual through collaboration between medical and educational sciences, involved in the educability of the whole person, in which the aim is not only functional recovery but also social-reintegration. This "functional synergy" permits the development of the person, and establishes an indissoluble link between functions and attitudes, thus allowing the achievement of the greater possible autonomy. In this way classical and pedagogical rehabilitation may be combined in a single concept of educational action. To realize this integrated educational process it is important to evaluate and promote awareness development, based on the possibilities of brain plasticity and on the presence of multiple intelligences skillfully intertwined each other. Therefore, self-awareness plays a prime role in educational actions for the rehabilitation of persons with severe ABI.
authors.affiliation: IRCCS, Fondazione Santa Lucia, Ospedale di Riabilitazione, Rome, Italy - Dipartimento di Psicologia, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Silvestro
authors.affiliation: Maria Cecilia Hospital, GVM Care and Research, Cotignola (RA), Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazzetti
authors.affiliation: IRCCS, Fondazione Santa Lucia, Ospedale di Riabilitazione, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Melia
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Psicologiche, della Salute e del Territorio, Università degli Studi G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Stagno
authors.affiliation: IRCCS, Fondazione Santa Lucia, Ospedale di Riabilitazione, Rome, Italy - Medicina dei Sistemi, Università degli Studi di Roma "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni Augusto
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Carlesimo
authors.affiliation: IRCCS, Fondazione Santa Lucia, Ospedale di Riabilitazione, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bivona
authors.affiliation: IRCCS, Fondazione Santa Lucia, Ospedale di Riabilitazione, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Formisano
mesh_terms: D001364:Awareness; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012649:Self Concept