Abstract
Aims: To investigate if metacognitive strategy instruction (MSI) improves the receptive language skills of adults with cognitive-communication disorders secondary to acquired brain injury (ABI).
Research design: An ABA intervention programme was implemented with eight adults with ABI, aged 25–70 years. The Measure of Cognitive-Linguistic Abilities (MCLA) was administered at baseline and following treatment. The treatment employed in this study involved three components: individual goal-based therapy, group remediation therapy using self-instruction and home practice.
Results: No receptive language sub-tests of the MCLA reached statistical significance. However, participants’ raw score improvements in receptive language sub-tests indicated that MSI may be effective at remediating CCDs following ABI.
Conclusions: Preliminary findings indicate that MSI may be effective in improving receptive language skills in adults with CCDs following ABI. Further research involving a more rigorous study, a larger sample size and a more reliable outcome measure is necessary and may provide statistically significant evidence for the effectiveness of MSI for remediating receptive language disorders.
Declaration of interest
This research was funded with the assistance of a University of Queensland New Staff Start-Up Grant. This research was conducted in collaboration with Speech Pathology staff at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, in the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit.