Lifelong Needs After Acquired Brain Injury: A Case Study in Enhancing Community Awareness

The high prevalence of aggressive and high-risk behavior after acquired brain injury (ABI) presents a variety of clinical challenges in the treatment milieu. These challenges become even more vivid when full community inclusion is the ultimate goal of treatment. There can be a number of challenges when community inclusion is practiced at its strictest interpretation, and rehabilitation professionals, including life care planners, must understand these issues. The following article addresses these issues as they present themselves in an adult male with an ABI and severe unwanted behavioral issues. These issues had been an obstacle to his autonomy until his community support structure encouraged an increased level of participation in the community that allowed him to pursue the activities of his choosing to increase his quality of life. The ultimate result is a significant decrease in the frequency of severe unwanted behavior. A more comprehensive utilization of a characteristic interaction style and community education are key components to interventions which address the true lifelong needs that an ABI presents to families, funders, and clients themselves. These components can also have implications for the development of an effective life care plan for individuals with ABI.