It's New and Changing
Cognitive evaluation and treatment, as a field, is highly lacking. This is especially true for the population with dementia. This is predominantly due to the fact that it has only been recently that we have discovered that cognitive degeneration can be slowed and cognitive aspects such as IQ are not actually set in stone as we once thought. This significantly changes things not only for those working with cognitive rehabilitation, but also in the school systems.
IQ is frequently used as THE reference point when determining eligibility for services in schools. If we now know that IQ can be increased, then where does that leave our use of it as a reference point? We can no longer base our "expected language abilities" on a number range that we now know we can increase. Even greater what are the implications for cognitive HABILITATION of youth where before we only targeted REhabilitation of a damage brain? This is just another avenue of exploration for the speech-language pathologist which I have no doubt will creep into my writings on cognition as I go along.
IQ is frequently used as THE reference point when determining eligibility for services in schools. If we now know that IQ can be increased, then where does that leave our use of it as a reference point? We can no longer base our "expected language abilities" on a number range that we now know we can increase. Even greater what are the implications for cognitive HABILITATION of youth where before we only targeted REhabilitation of a damage brain? This is just another avenue of exploration for the speech-language pathologist which I have no doubt will creep into my writings on cognition as I go along.
Professional Struggle
As I'm sure you're all aware, what we as professionals know most is how much we DON'T know about the brain and how to mend it. I know I personally have felt very lost and confused in regards to what I am actually assessing and what the results of these cogntive-linguistic assessments really mean for my treatment. Many times I take maximal approach to cognitive treatment because that's the only way to get to what ever else might be wrong.
There is a fundamental lack of knowledge in this area that is just starting to be filled in. This being said, it seems odd to me that there are a number of cognitive-linguistic materials available. Worksheets to do, things to memorize and minimal to no direction to using them. What's more is that the number of materials seems even more odd compared to the minimal number of assessments which in turn have little, if any, instruction or correlation to treatment. This occurs in a time when we are finding cognitive re/habilitation has great potential AND when payer sources and tightening down on billable services. These factors contribute the overwhelming need for greater dialogue and research about the field.
Thus with lack of information and the necessity to provide the highest quality service to those serviced by Innovative Therapy Solutions I personally have turned a large portion of my professional focus towards behavior, cognition, habilitation, rehabilitation and learning. It is my hope this pursuit and interest will prove useful to you along the way.
There is a fundamental lack of knowledge in this area that is just starting to be filled in. This being said, it seems odd to me that there are a number of cognitive-linguistic materials available. Worksheets to do, things to memorize and minimal to no direction to using them. What's more is that the number of materials seems even more odd compared to the minimal number of assessments which in turn have little, if any, instruction or correlation to treatment. This occurs in a time when we are finding cognitive re/habilitation has great potential AND when payer sources and tightening down on billable services. These factors contribute the overwhelming need for greater dialogue and research about the field.
Thus with lack of information and the necessity to provide the highest quality service to those serviced by Innovative Therapy Solutions I personally have turned a large portion of my professional focus towards behavior, cognition, habilitation, rehabilitation and learning. It is my hope this pursuit and interest will prove useful to you along the way.
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