Beatriz C. Abreu, Ph.D, OTR, FAOTA

October 21st & 22nd, 2010

Dr. Abreu designed this interactive cognitive rehabilitation course to provide information for use across the continuum of recovery from coma to community re-entry. She will provide an approach that employs a team concept to coordinate the resources of therapists, clients and their family groups for the evaluation and treatment of stroke, traumatic brain injury, brain tumors, cerebral palsy and other neurologic conditions.  Dr. Abreu will present “The Quadraphonic Approach” a program that she designed and refined over many years. The Quadraphonic Approach employs both a medical (micro) and social (macro) perspective for evaluation and treatment through the continuum of recovery.  The micro perspective refers to the management of performance components or sub-skills.  The macro perspective refers to the analysis of functional performance or real life occupations.

The Quadraphonic Approach is based on the assumptions that: a) integration of cognitive-perceptual and postural control analysis is crucial for cognitive rehabilitation, b) continuous analysis of occupational performance from both a micro and macro perspective is required for effective rehabilitation, and c) the narrative process of story telling and story making is integral to the rehab process. Guidelines and protocols for both quantitative and qualitative evaluation and treatment of cognitive-perceptual and postural control dysfunction will be provided based on a seven-point functional evaluation scale. 

 The Quadraphonic Approach is a frame of reference that incorporates four theories: information processing, teaching/learning, neurodevelopmental and biomechanical.  The performance components will include attention, visual perception, memory, problem solving, motor planning, initiation and safety.  The Quadraphonic Approach also provides guidelines for interaction among the therapist/teacher, client/learner and the environment.  In addition, an interview protocol is provided for awareness, and four evaluation tests are provided for each of the attention, visual perception, memory, problem solving, motor planning and initiation and safety components.  Treatment strategies for remediation and compensation are also presented. For the macro analysis, the Quadraphonic Approach employs a functional analysis based on four personal factors affecting the client's overall independence status.  These four factors are disability, health, life-stage and lifestyle.  This functional analysis is used to guide the interaction of the client's will, goals, opportunities for action and capacity for action.

Please note that micro and macro perspectives are not mutually exclusive.  There will be a continual shift from one perspective to another depending on the requirements of the situation.

Each participant will receive an extensive series of handouts, which they will be able to use in clinical and educational settings.  The handouts will combine both quantitative and qualitative methods for evaluation and treatment.  Each individual handout may serve as the basis for an individualized in-service training program.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this course participants will be able to:

1. Describe the principles, theories and application of the cognitive rehabilitation program called The Quadraphonic Approach.
2. Integrate movement and cognitive skills in evaluation and treatment for persons with acquired brain injury.
3. Administer tests and treatment for attention, visual perception, memory, problem solving, motor planning, initiation and safety and grade the tests on a seven-point scale.
4. Perform functional analysis and synthesis for evaluation and treatment in personal management, shopping, cooking, individual meal preparation, mobility, and money management.