Assessing Cognitive Communication Disorders for Return to Work Following Acquired Brain Injury: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Clinical Experiences and Perspectives

Published 17th June 2026

Background
Cognitive communication changes are common after acquired brain injury (ABI) and can impact a person's ability to return to and sustain work.

Aims
To understand the practices and experiences of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) involved in assessing cognitive communication skills for return to work (RTW) after ABI.

Methods & Procedures
An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used, involving sequential data collection points of a benchmarking survey followed by expert opinion focus groups. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyse the data.

Results
Thirty-four SLPs completed an online survey. Six participants took part in focus groups. Findings suggest SLPs are currently involved in assessing the communication skills of individuals aiming to RTW after an ABI, and that they use a variety of approaches, including standardised and informal or dynamic assessments. They may benefit from training resources, and support to integrate into interprofessional teams.

Conclusion & implications
This study emphasises the need to prioritise assessing cognitive communication skills for individuals aiming to RTW post injury. While SLPs provide assessment for this population, improving their integration in interprofessional teams, training and detailed clinical resources will be valuable.

 

Citation

Cameron, K., Cornwell, P., Watter, K., McLennan, V., Wegener, N., & Hewetson, R. (2026). Assessing Cognitive Communication Disorders for Return to Work Following Acquired Brain Injury: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Clinical Experiences and Perspectives. International journal of language & communication disorders, 61(4), e70265. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70265

Read more about the 'Assessing cognitive-communication skills in the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) return to work population' project this publication resulted from.

 

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