Citation

Witt MR, Stokes TF, Parsonson BS, Dudding CC. Brain Inj. 2018; 32(7): 894-899.

Affiliation

Communication Sciences & Disorders, James Madison University , Harrisonburg , Virginia , USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/02699052.2018.1466365

PMID

29688062

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of distance caregiver coaching on skill acquisition of a child with traumatic brain injury. Interactions between caregivers and persons with brain injury may play a critical role in the rehabilitation process, and coaching caregivers is one method that may foster more positive functional outcomes for the individual as caregiver skills may generalize across domains.

METHOD: This study utilised a single-subject, multiple baseline across behaviours design to examine the effects of caregiver behaviours on skill acquisition by a child with a traumatic brain injury. The caregiver-client dyad in this study was a mother and her 10-year-old adopted child. The caregiver was coached using telehealth technology. Distance coaching consisted of in-vivo feedback on the caregiver's use of general behaviour analytic skills, such as use of effective prompting and positive social consequences, while engaging with the child with a brain injury.

CONCLUSION: Improvements in the child's independent task completion across three functional skills were observed, as a function of improvements in the caregiver's skills.

Language: en

Keywords

Paediatric brain injury; abusive head trauma; caregiver behaviours; distance coaching; multiple-baseline; telehealth