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Improving Communication for People with Brain Injury in the 21st Century: The Value of Collaboration

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2013

Leanne Togher*
Affiliation:
NHMRC Senior Research Fellow, Speech Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Australia Chief Investigator, NHMRC Clinical Centre of Research Excellence in Aphasia Rehabilitation, http://www.ccreaphasia.org.au/ Chief Investigator, NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Brain Recovery, http://moving-ahead.com.au/
*
Address for correspondence: Professor Leanne Togher, Discipline of Speech Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, PO Box 170 Lidcombe, NSW 2141, Australia. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

This paper describes the value of collaboration from two perspectives. The first perspective highlights the benefit of teaching communication partners collaborative communication strategies to facilitate the interactions of people with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Collaborative strategies encompass the provision of collaborative intent, emotional and cognitive support, positive questioning styles and collaborative turn taking. Translating research outcomes into accessible resources is described with reference to the TBI Express website which has video demonstrations of conversation strategies for communication partners of people with TBI. The broader meaning of collaboration is also discussed, with particular focus on the advantages collaboration can provide in advancing rehabilitation outcomes for people with acquired brain injury, their families and social networks. Collaboration is described in terms of encompassing all relevant contributors to the development of research advances, including people with acquired brain injury, their families and social networks, stakeholders, clinicians, peak bodies, students and researchers. Two examples of large-scale research collaborations occurring within Australia are described, including the NHMRC Clinical Centre of Research Excellence in Aphasia Rehabilitation and the NHMRC Moving Ahead Centre for Research Excellence in Brain Recovery, also known as Moving Ahead.

Type
ASSBI PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 2012
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Australian Academic Press Pty Ltd 2013 

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