Abstract for presentation at 6th World Congress on Brain Injury

At the present time, little research is available on the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation programs for children who have sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The aim of the current paper is to present a critical review of current literature on the subject. We examined four databases of scientific papers and theoretical documents (PsyInfo, MedLine, Manitou and Dissertation Abstracts) and identified 58 publications that dealt with child TBI in general, 28 of which met our inclusion criteria (rehabilitation). Of the 28 documents chosen, 12 were applied science papers based on an experimental procedure, whereas 16 consisted of a summary or presentation of various approaches to cognitive rehabilitation. In light of our analyses, we present the variables that were included or ignored in developing the rehabilitation programs. We then explore the strengths and limitations of existing treatment programs and propose directions for future cognitive rehabilitation of TBI children.