My first job was working at a rehabilitation hospital that specialized in traumatic brain injury. It was a very interesting job because when working with a patient with an acquired brain injury the behavior present after the injury can be related to the site of the injury. I closed head trauma to the left side of the head for most will impact language functioning, but an injury to the frontal lobe and you have a variety of cognitive defects in planning, inhibition, organizing. Services received immediately are more like to benefit clients in the first 3-6 months recovery, however, continues for a year. Often clients in car accidents with closed head trauma receive physical therapy to walk, occupational therapy to eat, but not speech/language therapy to help with communication and improving cognitive deficits. Can it make a difference? Well, ask my client who would have lost the ability to read or the gentlemen I worked with who learned to talk and communicate. Why is such little value put on something that’s use we all take for granted, language is learned.
Here is more information on the following article from ASHA speaking about the deficit in our healthcare coverage.
http://www.asha.org/About/news/Press-Releases/2011/TBI-Insurance.htm