Concussion and Brain Injury
What is a concussion?
A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) that may cause physical, cognitive, and/or emotional changes. These symptoms typically resolve within the first few weeks after the injury. However, approximately 15-20% of individuals experience persisting difficulties. They may be diagnosed with post-concussive symptoms/syndrome that can include difficulty focusing, trouble with word-finding, or difficulty remembering conversations or new information.
Individuals may attempt to return to work or school but experience difficulties keeping up with their workload. Others may notice differences in their communication abilities when socializing with friends and family, possibly straining their interpersonal relationships.
In many jobs, 70-80% (or more!) of the work day is spent communicating in some way, whether it be making phone calls, listening in meetings, reading and editing reports, or writing emails.
What is a brain injury?
An acquired brain injury (ABI) is brain damage that occurs as a result of a traumatic blow to the head, infection, tumour, disease, or lack of oxygen. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused by a force to the head or body that may be a result of a sports injury, motor vehicle collision, fall, etc. The impacts of a brain injury are complex and vary significantly from person to person but often affect how they feel, think, and act.
Are you experiencing difficulty with any of the following?
Here are common symptoms following a concussion or brain injury:
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Focusing, concentrating, and filtering out distracting information
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Holding thoughts in your mind while listening
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Understanding long or complex statements (e.g. conversations, instructions, meetings, lectures)
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Thinking of the right word or expressing yourself clearly (e.g. thoughts, feelings, opinions, ideas, instructions)
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Remembering new information or conversations
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Generating topics of conversation or commenting on others’ ideas
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Reading and retaining information from paragraphs and long texts (e.g. articles, books, work materials, textbooks)
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Formulating ideas and organizing thoughts in writing (e.g. emails, reports, essays, assignments)
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Planning, prioritizing and organizing information
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Problem-solving and making decisions
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Taking turns during a conversation, interrupting
Cognitive-Communication Screener
If you're not sure if you or a loved one is having difficulty with cognitive or communication skills, take our quick screener below!
Why contact our Speech-Language Pathologists?
Speech-Language Pathologists are uniquely qualified to help people with the complex communication issues that often arise as a result of changes in cognitive functioning following a brain injury. We provide the education, strategy instruction, training and real-life practice to meet your specific goals.
Our SLPs have experience and success with assisting individuals to return to school, work and social activities with a focus on the goals that are most important to them.