WHY ARE COGNITIVE AND LEARNING STRATEGIES IMPORTANT FOR MANY STUDENTS AFTER TBI?
Cognitive and learning strategies are important for all students. However the theme is of special importance for students with TBI because they often have cognitive impairments (e.g., weak memory, fluctuating attention, poor organization) and because damage to the frontal lobes makes strategic thinking and learning more difficult for them. That is, they are in greater need of strategies, but being strategic is harder than it would be without the injury. To make the situation even bleaker, many students with brain injury are relatively unaware of their needs or possibly in a state of emotional denial making the teaching of compensatory strategies even more difficult. [See Tutorial in Self-Awareness] Therefore, teaching strategic thinking and learning needs to be a deliberate and intensive process for these students. WHAT ARE THE MAIN THEMES IN INSTRUCTION AND SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS WHO NEED TO USE COGNITIVE AND LEARNING STRATEGIES? Teaching students to be strategic thinkers and learners i
