Work with children and young people with brain injury
The following is based on 4 yearsī experiences in daily work with children and young people with brain injury.
The poster called "The Viborg Model" shows the work with children and young people with brain injury in the Viborg County.
The model is based on the work of the Brain Injury Council concerning children and young people in Viborg County. Members of the Council are: a pediatric specialist, a childrenīs neuropsychologist, an ergotherapist, a physiotherapist and a neuropedagogue. The members of the council are brought into action as soon as we are informed about a child or a young person with brain injury. We become the active specialists in the work with the child, and after the intensive period in hospital we follow the child/young person till he or she turns 18.
The model and its options are in continual development. This part has been partially financed by government grants. The work involves school, home and spare time. This model has so far only been open to specific children and young people from Viborg County. Groups of children, parents and specialists (in the future also grandparents and siblings) from 3 neighbouring counties have also been included.
Taking our starting point in this model it is possible for the childrenīs neuropsychologist to work with intensified effort in testing and describing the cognitive functions in the individual child. There are interviews and talks with the parents, with the child and with siblings. The focus is on creating a demystification in connection with the child and the family and their understanding of the extent and consequences of the injury so that it is possible to work with the childīs problems as well as with its strengths.
The neuropedagogue is a mediator between the neuropsychological test and the childīs kindergarten or school, home and spare time. She gives pedagogical advice, and if there is a need of particular materials that will cover the specific childīs needs, she will create these materials. She is building up a library of computer programmes. These programmes are listed and presented in a catalogue, and she lends out the programmes to be tested by parents or institutions.
The childrenīs neuropsychologist and the neuropedagogue arrange courses and seminars for the parents. The courses and seminars aim at giving the parents knowledge about brain injuries, cognitive functions and dysfunctions, pedagogical intervention and at creating a network among the parents. The parents meet every 3 months.
There has been a seminar ( over 6 days) for teachers, pedagogues, psychologists and logopeds who work with children with brain injury. They have had information about the same subjects as the parents. Parents and teachers have pointed out that it is very important that they can speak the same language.
We have invited children and young people with brain injury to meet other children and young people with brain injury in a 2 daysī "camp". They have been matched according to age and the extent of the injury. The aim is primarily good fellowship and the creation of a network . It is important that they have the possibility of meeting children who have gone through a similar process, which will be an integral part of their demystification.
In the future there will be meetings where grandparents will be given information about brain injury, cognitive functions and dysfunctions. There will also be a course or seminar for siblings.
The second poster focuses more concretely on various pedagogical fields of efforts like for instance social competencies and planning.