Does metacognitive strategy instruction improve impaired receptive cognitive-communication skills following acquired brain injury?

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.

• Acquired brain injury
• cognitive communication disorders
• metacognitive strategy instruction
• receptive language
• speech language pathologists

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.