WORKING WITH FAMILIES AFTER TBI - A FAMILY-CENTERED APPROACH

This article focuses on family involvement as critical to successful r ehabilitation of individuals with cognitive-communicative impairments following traumatic brain injury (TBI). A family-centered perspective is embraced within which capacity rather than dysfunction in families is sought. Family members are actively included as collaborators in re habilitation and reintegration to home, school, work, and community li fe. This family-centered perspective can help develop capability withi n the family system throughout its life cycle. Suggestions for underst anding family responses to TBI and for involving families more fully a re presented.