According to the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, approximately two million Americans per year suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI). As a result, they may suffer obstacles with their behavioral, physical, cognitive, or emotional capabilities, requiring treatment and intervention.

That’s where Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTAs), like those trained at St. Catherine University, can help.

St. Catherine University’s hybrid online OTA program can help you earn your Associate of Applied Sciences (AAS) degree in as few as 16 months. Combining online coursework with in-person skills labs and fieldwork creates a well-rounded education, so you can feel confident sitting for the NBCOT certification exam and begin helping people with TBI complications sooner.

Occupational therapy for TBI is an essential aspect of OTA work, so let’s discover what a TBI is and how occupational therapy aids in TBI recovery.

What Is TBI and How Does It Impact Daily Life?

A TBI is typically caused by a blow to the head or severe shaking, like to a small child or baby. Wounds caused by objects penetrating brain matter can also lead to a TBI.

Mild traumatic brain injuries can result in temporary brain cell damage. Severe brain injuries may cause brain bruising, bleeding, tissue tears, and other trauma that can lead to prolonged complications.

Symptoms of a mild TBI are similar to a concussion and range from headache and nausea to blurred vision and light sensitivity or even memory and concentration issues and mood swings. Symptoms of a severe TBI are more extensive, resulting in:

• Agitation, aggression, or other unusual behavior
• Convulsions or seizures
• Dilated pupils in one or both eyes
• Loss of coordination
• Prolonged confusion
• Recurring headache or a headache that worsens
• Repeated vomiting and nausea
• Slurred speech
• Weakness of numbness in fingers and toes

The Role of Occupational Therapy in TBI Recovery

Those suffering from the impact of a TBI may find it more difficult to complete activities of daily living (ADLs). Occupational therapy offers interventions that address the physical and cognitive barriers to independence. Depending on the type of injury and the duration of treatment, the OT and OTA can:

• Implement adaptations to help patients with decreased endurance complete daily tasks and functions.
• Observe and evaluate the client during ADLs, such as dressing or eating.
• Provide strategies to offset memory impairments and facilitate thinking.
• Recommend equipment clients can use to accomplish ADLs with greater independence.
• Set weekly checklists and goals.
• Teach the client stress reduction techniques to reduce or cope with overstimulation and confusion.

Common Techniques in TBI Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy doesn’t just target the physical symptoms of a TBI; interventions are designed to help clients improve their quality of life and reclaim their independence after a brain injury. As an OTA, you’ll see and assist with different TBI recovery interventions throughout your career. Let’s explore a few common interventions and the goals they accomplish in TBI recovery.

Cognitive Rehabilitation

Cognitive impairments are often a result of traumatic brain injuries, making it a challenge for individuals to remember details, process new information, and make decisions. Cognitive rehabilitation interventions use memory training, problem-solving exercises, and activities that target attention and concentration to reduce these difficulties.

Sensory Integration

Individuals with a TBI may have trouble processing and interpreting sensory information, such as light, touch, and sound. Sensory integration interventions use activities that teach clients to regulate and organize sensory input to improve their capacity to focus, engage in tasks, and respond appropriately without sensory overload.

Vocational Rehabilitation

TBIs can make it challenging for individuals to complete job-related tasks and continue working. In occupational therapy vocational rehabilitation, the client is evaluated for their abilities and therapists work to craft a plan to develop the skills needed to return to work. This plan might include job training, workplace accommodations, and assistance with job hunting.

Activities of Daily Living Training

ADLs are any basic activity necessary to get through daily life, such as dressing, bathing, and eating. Many clients find these activities challenging after a TBI, so interventions focus on rehabilitating the physical, cognitive, and motor skills to achieve greater independence in these tasks.

There is a second form of ADL called instrumental ADLs (IADL), which involve higher cognitive processes. Some examples of IADLs are:

• Financial Management
• Housekeeping
• Meal prep
• Medication management

Home Modifications and Adaptive Equipment

Regarding physical limitations caused by TBIs, OTs and OTAs may suggest adaptive equipment such as shower chairs, grab bars, and wheelchair ramps to help individuals navigate their homes better. They may also recommend modifying the home itself through furniture arrangement and counter heights to improve accessibility and safety.

Leisure Skills

Brain injuries can make it difficult for individuals to indulge in hobbies and activities they once enjoyed, so an important part of occupational therapy for TBI is making sure clients have recreational activities. Occupational therapy uses leisure to help clients re-engage with old hobbies or find new ones to fit their needs.

Benefits of Occupational Therapy for TBI

The primary goal of occupational therapy for TBI is to help patients become functioning individuals and community members. Beyond the treatments are the benefits they bring to clients, such as:

1. Coping Skills

Individuals with a TBI can find it difficult to overcome the emotional and behavioral issues that accompany them. An inability to handle strong emotions in a healthy manner could impact relationships and even prevent them from holding a job. Occupational therapy can teach clients the behavior management strategies needed to minimize emotional outbursts before they escalate. This education is essential for clients to reintegrate into their community.

2. Social Skills

Social skills are vital for maintaining relationships with friends and coworkers, so it’s important that clients rebuild social skills that may have been lost or altered after the TBI. Occupational therapy gives individuals the opportunity to practice social skills in a safe and regulated environment.

3. Memory and Cognitive Skills

Without confidence that an individual will remember important information, such as medication regimens or when to turn the stove off, it’s not safe for that person to live independently. Occupational therapy gives confidence to the individual and family that they can manage themselves to the extent of their abilities.

4. Independent Living Skills

Of course, if the goal is for clients to function independently, they need independent living skills. Throughout their interventions, OTs and OTAs will help individuals practice their ADLs and devise more ways to adapt them to the client’s ability level or teach family members and caregivers to assist.

Start Making a Difference at St. Catherine University

At St. Catherine University, we aim to give each of our students the tools needed for a successful OTA career, which is why we ask applicants to meet certain admissions requirements before entrance into the program. Throughout the admissions process, an admissions advisor will help you develop an enrollment plan to ensure you meet the qualifications before your start date and determine your eligibility for the OTA program.

Contact our admissions advisors today to begin working towards your OTA career.