When to Access Virtual Speech Therapy for ICBC-Insured Adults
Car accidents can result in various physical injuries, but what many people may not realize is the potential impact on cognitive communication abilities, particularly in cases of concussions or traumatic brain injuries (TBI). These injuries can lead to a range of cognitive impairments, affecting how individuals process and convey information, interact with others, and function in daily life.
Cognitive communication impairments following car accidents can manifest in several ways:
Language Difficulties: Individuals may experience challenges in expressing themselves verbally or in understanding spoken or written language. This could involve difficulty finding the right words, forming coherent sentences, or comprehending complex instructions or conversations
Attention and Concentration Issues: Brain injuries can disrupt attention and concentration, making it hard for individuals to focus on tasks, sustain attention for prolonged periods, or filter out distractions in their environment. This can impact communication by causing individuals to lose track of conversations or struggle to stay engaged during interactions.
Memory Deficits: Memory problems are common after brain injuries, affecting both short-term and long-term memory. Individuals may have difficulty remembering recent events, retaining new information, or recalling details from past experiences, which can hinder communication by causing gaps in conversations or difficulty recalling relevant information.
Executive Functioning Challenges: Executive functions refer to higher-level cognitive processes involved in planning, problem-solving, decision-making, and self-monitoring. Brain injuries can impair these functions, leading to difficulties in organizing thoughts, initiating tasks, adapting to changes, or regulating emotions. Such challenges can impact communication by causing disorganization in speech, difficulty following conversational rules, or inappropriate social responses.
Social Communication Impairments: Brain injuries can also affect social communication skills, including nonverbal communication, understanding social cues, and maintaining appropriate interpersonal relationships. Individuals may struggle with interpreting facial expressions, tone of voice, or body language, leading to misunderstandings or difficulty in forming connections with others.
Given the complex nature of cognitive communication impairments, personalized intervention is crucial for effective rehabilitation and recovery. Virtual speech therapy provides a convenient and evidence-based solution for individuals recovering from brain injuries sustained in motor vehicle accidents.
Targeted interventions may be aimed at improving language, attention, memory, executive functioning, and social communication skills. Depending on the clients’ functioning, they may be able to attend sessions independently. Some clients may require a support person to help them during a session, or with homework, similar to in-person therapy.
By utilizing tools like the Cognitive Communication Checklist for Acquired Brain Injury (CCCABI) as a screening tool for clients with concussion and brain injury, communication difficulties can be identified early on and therapy plans to meet individual goals and preferences can be identified by your SLP. If 1 or more difficulties are noted, obtain consent and refer for a full speech-language pathology evaluation.
For more information on accessing ICBC covered speech therapy services virtually in BC, contact mail@myvirtualslp.com or reach out for an initial consultation with SLP Sasha Wade, a registered ICBC partner.
References
Cacciante, L., Della Pietà, C., Rutkowski, S., Cieślik, B., Szczepańska-Gieracha, J., Agostini, M., & Kiper, P. (2021). Cognitive telerehabilitation in neurological patients: systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurological Sciences, 43(2), 847–862. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-021-05770-6
Panel, G. D., Brown, J., Kaelin, D. L., Mattingly, E., Mello, C., Miller, E. L., Mitchell, G., Picon, L. M., Waldron-Perine, B., Wolf, T., Frymark, T., & Bowen, R. (2022). American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Clinical Practice Guideline: Cognitive Rehabilitation for the management of cognitive dysfunction associated with Acquired Brain Injury. American Journal of Speech-language Pathology, 31(6), 2455–2526. https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_ajslp-21-0036
