Communication requires the interaction between language and cognition, or the set of all mental abilities and processes related to knowledge: attention, memory, reasoning, problem solving, organization and executive functioning.
Cognition is conscious and unconscious, concrete and abstract, intuitive and conceptual. These processes are not isolated abilities and are controlled by many structures within the brain.
Cognitive Skills
Cognitive skills are essential for independence, safety, personal relationships, academic success and employability. People may have a Learning Disability, Attention Deficit Disorder, Developmental Delay or Autism Spectrum Disorder Others may have experienced a traumatic brain injury a right sided stroke, repeated seizures or a degenerative neurological disorder. This may lead to difficulty in paying attention during a conversation, remembering information, staying on topic, understanding humor or following directions.
Management strategies for cognitive-communication disorders
Management strategies for cognitive-communication disorders focus on retraining the brain, learning new ways of doing things and capitalizing on intact cognitive skills to achieve the highest level of independent function in daily activities. That may entail working with the family and/or caregiver to decrease disruptive communication, training a client to use a multimodal communication system (e.g., writing, gestures, sign language, picture communication) and teaching compensatory strategies. Interactive computer training programs may be utilized. Compensatory strategies may include organizational charts, use of technology, memory training, and cognitive rehabilitation tasks.
