Awake brain surgery (awake craniotomy) is a highly specialized procedure sometimes completed when a tumor or medically compromised area of the brain is located near or in a functionally critical area. Numerous disciplines are involved with the goal to preserve functioning in the patient. SLPs play an important role before, during, and after surgery.

How is executive functioning treated? It is important to seek evidence based treatment from a trained provider.

Following a brain injury, children often recover many previously acquired skills with both time and therapy. It is often more difficult for children to regain the developmental skills they were working on acquiring at the time of injury and, as a result, later developing skills which build upon these may be more challenging to acquire. These difficulties may not be noted until later in their development as they "grow into" their areas of deficit when demands within their environment increase.

A speech-language pathologist’s (SLP) role in seeing a patient following a brain injury can vary significantly depending on the needs of the patient. The SLP scope of practice includes speech, language, cognitive communication, voice, fluency, feeding/swallowing, social communication, and augmentative and alternative communication and depending on the injury, one or many of these areas may be addressed.

When an adult has a brain injury, the goal of therapy is to help them regain the skills they had developed before. When a child has a brain injury, the goal is to help them regain those skills... and acquire the next set of skills... and the next... and the next... and the next...

What is an acquired brain injury (ABI)? What causes an ABI? What areas are impacted?

Executive functioning skills are closely tied to language and communication. Many SLPs receive specialized training in assessment and treatment of executive functioning skills.

Cognitive communication refers to the integration of cognitive processes and communication skills needed for successful and effective interaction and understanding. Various skills and processes are included such as attention, memory, organization and problem solving. These skills all contribute to how individuals express themselves and comprehend others. Effective cognitive communication is essential for successful social interactions and academic performance, particularly for children and young adults who are developing these critical skills.

A speech-language pathologist (SLP) may seem like an odd choice for concussion assessment and treatment- after all, you’re talking just fine! However, SLPs are trained in cognition (including attention, memory, organization, and executive functioning) and how deficits in these areas impact daily functioning in thinking, learning, and communication. Some SLPs may further specialize in these areas and receive additional training and ongoing education. For patients experiencing cognitive symptoms following a concussion, SLPs play a crucial role in the recovery process by assessing deficits and creating a tailored treatment plan to address patient needs.

Returning to school following a concussion can feel daunting. Though significant research has been done on the “Return to Play” protocols assisting student-athletes with safely rejoining practices and game play, the research on safely and effectively returning to school is less well established.

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) that can impact a person’s physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being as well as sleep. When most of us picture a concussion, we think of contact injuries - two soccer players knocking their heads together, a football player being tackled, or a child falling from playground equipment and hitting their head on the ground.