Pediatric neuropsychological issues and cognitive rehabilitation

This chapter provides a brief overview of common neuropsychological sequelae of brain injury, particularly traumatic brain injury in children, and reviews the main factors associated with neuropsychological outcomes after brain injury. It also provides a more comprehensive discussion of roles of the pediatric neuropsychologist, including the methods of neuropsychological assessment and strategies for cognitive intervention used by neuropsychologists when working with children with brain injury. The chapter describes cognitive rehabilitation techniques commonly used by pediatric neuropsychologists. Pediatric neuropsychologists educate caregivers about a child’s neurobehavioral status, train caregivers to manage challenges in cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning, and help caregivers understand expectations and plan for future functioning throughout the recovery process. During the acute phase of recovery, when children typically demonstrate more severe cognitive impairments, neuropsychologists often employ strategies to support orientation and memory, maximize arousal, reduce problematic behaviors, and improve basic awareness.