Information on Head Injury and TBI and Community Inclusion

A delightful story book with colorful illustrations for young children features Billy Butterfly as he tries to compete in the Insect Olympics with a sore wing. Written and illustrated by a survivor of a severe brain injury, this is a story of perseverance, hope and overcoming the challenges of having a disability. It is an excellent tool to help friends and peers be sensitive to the needs and abilities of children with disabilities. Billy’s story shows the importance of helping children try and the meaning of encouragement and support from friends and family.

As a survivor who has lived with a brain injury since 1989, Mike Strand’s short book offers a perspective on the ups and downs - triumphs and challenges - of not just survival but living life fully. Unlike books that chronicle recovery day by day, he uses a format of short essays that provide insight into his personal struggles. They will cause readers to pause and reflect on the meaning for their lives.

This program provides persons with cognitive impairments, as well as elderly adults, easy access to e-mail and computerized therapeutic social activities using a USB drive. The simplified Internet browser can be used with any Windows computer on a MacIntosh or PC. It makes it easy for persons to communicate by email, explore the internet and play cognitive games on the computer. The training program leads users step by step on how to use a keyboard, mouse and email. This program is easy to use whether the person is a novice with computers or an experienced user with new cognitive challenges.

Clinicians can use this tool as part of a cognitive rehabilitation program, as a cognitive accommodation for computer use, and to improve communication skills and social interactions. The tutoring sessions are so easy that families and individuals can self-learn how to use this program.

Brain Injury Coping Skills was developed to advance evidence-based practice to help families and survivors cope with the effects of brain injury. This intervention includes supportive psychotherapy, psychoeducation, stress management and problem-solving skills via use of cognitive behavioral therapy approaches. This unique approach to helping adults with brain injury and their caregivers in the community uses a 16 week cognitive behavioral treatment intervention. The manual documents content for 20 sessions with detailed instructions for facilitators, session activities, homework assignments, and a CD for handouts and worksheets. Winner of 2009 McDowell Award by American Society for Neurorehabilitation

Brain injury recovery is a long journey for survivors, families and caregivers. Whether you are a civilian or veteran who has survived a brain injury, a family member or caregiver, a clinician, advocate, or direct care staff, you will find this workbook is a valuable resource and tool for living a full life after brain injury. It pulls together…

· Scientific information from evidence based research

· Range of topics from coma to living in the community

· Compelling personal vignettes to illustrate content

· Tools for personal assessment and practical strategies

· CD with worksheets for personal and professional use.

This is the publication that has been missing up to now in the field of acquired brain injury. With chapters by 19 national experts on brain injury, it is informative at a “cutting edge” level but presented in a format and writing style that is empowering and clear for individuals and families. A CD contains 46 worksheets that can be printed and used by survivors, families and clinicians.

Read an interview with author Richard Fraser.

Helpful life skills for survivors of brain injury are found in this special collection of four workbooks. All the workbooks in the Survivor Life Skills Tool Kit have been written by national experts as well as people who live and deal with brain injury every day. The titles of After Brain Injury - Telling Your Story; Living Life Fully after Brain Injury; Lost and Found and  Survival Kit all focus on creating positive, practical and effective steps to help survivors of brain injury get through each day and work toward a new future.

This Tool Kit is “a must” for every family, survivor, brain injury association, rehabilitation center, and resource library.

This workbook guides survivors of brain injury and blast injury through the powerful healing experience of telling their own stories with simple journaling techniques. By writing short journal entries, survivors explore the challenges, losses, changes, emotions, adjustments, stresses, and milestones as they rebuild their lives. Journaling after brain injury helps written and verbal communication skills and provides cognitive retraining for following instruction. It helps promote self awareness as well as recognition of strengths and difficulties after brain injury. It is a tool for planning for the future and discussions with family members. Journaling can be done individually, in a group or with assistance from caregivers or family.

Read an interview with author Barbara Stahura.