Facilitating independence in personal activities of daily living after a severe traumatic brain injury

Aims This study examined the effectiveness of two components of a treatment programme typically used by occupational therapists (OTs) in personal activities of daily living (PADL) rehabilitation. Methods A multiple baseline probe design across PADL tasks was used, one which is particularly suited to the examination of the effects of complex interventions on skill performance. The subjects were two male adults with severe brain injuries and cognitive impairments who were in the acute stages of recovery. The OT treatment program consisted of a combination of errorless learning and strategy training approaches. The impact of the program was measured by the number of steps completed independently in each of these tasks, the level and type of assistance required, and by administering the UK Functional Independence Measure and the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills. Findings Errorless learning and strategy training, as used within an OT programme, was demonstrated to be effective in reducing the amount of a...