Community integration interventions for youth with acquired brain injuries: a review

Abstract

Objective: To identify and summarize published literature that examined the effectiveness of social and community integration interventions for children and adolescents with ABI in order to provide recommendations regarding future research on this topic.

Methods: A literature review was conducted to identify studies that focused on social and community integration interventions for youth with ABI. Further manual searching of relevant journals with a paediatric rehabilitation focus was also carried out.

Results: Currently, limited research has been published evaluating such interventions. The lack of research may stem largely from issues relating to how to measure community integration. Recommendations regarding intervention settings and structure are discussed.

Conclusion: Additional studies investigating social and community integration interventions are necessary, including those with measures tailored specifically to community integration, larger samples, as are better controls and recruitment of youth with varying severities of brain injuries.