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Concussion: Return to Work and Performance-Based Testing March 03 2025
Performance-based assessment offers a solution to difficulties found in both traditional concussion assessment as well as return to work rehabilitation. Performance-based assessments address concussion deficits from an ecologically valid, functional perspective, bridging the gap between “normal” objective testing results and patient reports of day-to-day deficits.
This course presents an overview of the policies and procedures involved in return to work rehabilitation for individuals both with and without concussion. Practical components of return to work rehabilitation are emphasized, including how to interact with management or the human resources department, the role of short-term disability coverage, and how to establish the patient’s essential job functions.
Interactive examples of three performance-based assessments are demonstrated: the Behavioral Assessment of Vocational Skills, the Complex Task Performance Assessment, and the Doll Chair Assembly Task. These interactive segments will empower the learner with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to address challenging clinical scenarios.
Meet your instructors
Matthew Dodson
Dr. Matthew Dodson is an occupational therapist and an expert in evaluating objective and functional deficits from MTBI/concussion and other forms of mild brain injury in both civilian and military populations. With extensive experience at patient, supervisory, and policy levels, he specializes in designing multidisciplinary…
Mark Showers
Mark Showers is an Occupational Therapist specializing in cognitive rehabilitation. Graduating from Washington University in St. Louis, Mark worked five years developing Work Hardening programming for worker’s compensation cases. Following this he developed a TBI Occupational Therapy department at a VA hospital. Since 2012…
Introduction to Forensic Rehabilitation February 24 2025
Video: Introduction to Forensic Rehabilitation
This video introduces Dr. Kelly Deeker and Dr. Matthew Dodson, and use a case example to describe services that occupational therapists and other rehabilitation team members can provide to assist families whose child has a serious disability.
Forensic rehabilitation is an advanced set of professional services that are the natural extension of skill sets that rehabilitation professionals develop after five years to 10 years of practice. This type of practice provides the occupational therapist, vocational evaluator, rehabilitation counselor, physical therapist, or physician the opportunity to broaden his or her purview and ability to provide advanced services.
Forensic rehabilitation is practiced in a wide variety of settings to help resolve legal issues that occur when a disability affects a person's ability to work and earn a living. While the largest market for these services are found in the workers' compensation and Social Security disability areas, persons with disability also engage with rehabilitation professionals in cases involving long-term disability, product liability, and personal injury litigation.
The case example in this video is of a 15-year-old boy who experienced severe burns and a traumatic brain injury in an automobile accident. We describe the evaluation model and the methods that we employ to aggregate and analyze the information obtained in work capacity evaluation using the Functional Assessment Constructs Taxonomy (FACT) system. We describe the three major steps in determining an adolescent's loss of earning capacity.
Executive Dysfunction and Work Rehabilitation for OTs - Part 2 February 17 2025
Video: Executive Dysfunction and Work Rehabilitation for OTs - Part 2
A short demonstration is presented in the use of the Dynamic Complex Assembly Task (DCAT) Available from Matheson Development with a TBI client in an office setting.
The DCAT is a type of Progressive Occupational Demand system (PODS) used by Occupational Therapists and Vocational Evaluators and Neuropsychologists to provide demand-calibrated situational assessments to evaluate and treat executive dysfunction.
This is Part 2 of 2 in which we explore how OTs can work with clients in neurorehabilitation practices through the use of the BRIEF and SWAGs to evaluate and treat executive dysfunction. Additional and long-form video lessons on this topic and similar topics are available on Vimeo: Leonard Matheson.
Executive Dysfunction and Work Rehabilitation for OTs - Part 1 February 11 2025
Video: Executive Dysfunction and Work Rehabilitation for OTs - Part 1
Occupational Therapists provide crucial and unique services to clients with brain injuries. Evaluation and treatment of executive dysfunction provides a solid foundation for clients to return to full and productive lives after a TBI.
A case study is presented in the use of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) to screen for executive dysfunction prior to administering the Doll Chair Assembly Task (DCAT).
This is Part 1 of 2 in which we explore how OTs can help clients through the use of the BRIEF and SWAGs to evaluate and treat executive dysfunction.
THE FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY EVALUATION September 17 2024
In recent years, there has been an increased emphasis on development of the scientific basis of functional capacity evaluation (FCE). This has been stimulated by a growing awareness of its utility, and supported by major investments in research by large insurance providers and by state, provincial, and federal governmental agencies such as the United States Social Security Administration. 36 The most important development has been the application of a taxonomic approach to FCE to organize and focus this research. 72 This chapter employs this taxonomic approach, using it to organize both conceptual and applied information. The material presented in this chapter is informed by findings from a research project that was funded by the Social Security Administration 2 (SSA) to develop methods to use information about the patient's functional limitations to improve the SSA disability determination system. In order to render the task manageable within the limitations of a textbook format, this chapter is focused on FCE with persons who have musculoskeletal impairments.
Read the full chapter here!
An Introduction to Executive Dysfunction and Work Disability August 06 2024
Presenter: Len Matheson, PhD
Download slideshow
- Executive Function Definition and Description
- Executive functions harness and direct intelligence and other cognitive processing capacities.
- Dysfunction prevents intelligence from being applied.
- Scope of the Problem and Emerging Markets
- Emerging technology such as magnetoencephalography and TBI biomarkers, along with increased visibility of mTBI among troops returning from war create important practice opportunities.