The PEDS Model of Child Neuropsychological Rehabilitation

Introduction

When a child suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or a brain injury as a result of medical negligence the consequences are serious and far reaching. Injury to the young brain will affect all subsequent development. The injury often limits educational progress, employment prospects and the chances of living a fully independent life. Up until recently there has been little research about how to intervene to help with these difficulties from a neuropsychological perspective. Despite established adult models of neuropsychological rehabilitation, child neuropsychological models are less well-developed. Recently evidence has been growing about the factors that are important in child neuropsychological rehabilitation. In this article we review this evidence and propose a new model of child neuropsychological rehabilitation. We feel it is important for case managers to be aware of this evidence and the possible ways of intervening in order to make informed choices about what service to recommend and commission.

What the literature says about child neuropsychological rehabilitation
Although historically, child neuropsychological rehabilitation borrowed extensively from adult models of brain function, recovery and rehabilitation, it is now acknowledged that these models lack the developmental and systems perspective (i.e. acknowledging and working with the different systems within which the child exists including their peer group, family, professionals/carers involved, and education system).