Our Approach
Our innovative model of care is based on research, best practices, and our years of experience with addressing brain injuries. Unique to the Cognition Center, most of our participants will enjoy incorporating some form of bike-related activities into their brain-rebuilding efforts.
Our bike-based model unifies neurodevelopmental activities, sensory motor work, eye tracking, visual processing, core exercises, social engagement, and confidence building among other things to bolster emerging positive changes in neuroplasticity.
Each participant works with us to develop protocols that are custom designed to fit their needs.
The overall model has three key elements:
Assessment
We start with an in-depth assessment (usually spread over 2 sessions) to determine an individual’s current level of functioning in three categories:
Activities – which tasks the person can and can’t do successfully
Impairments – which bodily functions a person may or may not have
Participation – which life situations the person enjoys and/or finds challenging
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Goal Setting
We work collaboratively to establish goals that include ambitious, yet realistic, timelines for meeting them.
Goals can be functional, personal, or collective (meaning that the injured person and a partner, for example, work on something together).
Plan Development & Implementation
All goals are selected to move you forward to a life that is as full, independent, and meaningful as possible following your injury. Every brain injury and each plan is different. Your age, roles in life, hopes for the future, and circle of support will influence how we shape your plan. In collaboration with you and your core circle of support, we create an intensive, customized therapy plan that addresses unique medical, physical, cognitive, psychosocial, behavioral, vocational, educational and recreational needs.
As we move along, we might find that some goals may be met more easily than others. We continually reassess and redesign your plan as you change and progress. We meet you where you are and work with you to get you where you want to go. .
Where we work
We believe in removing barriers – including physical, emotional and environmental – that can hinder positive change. Therefore, our approach to services focuses on developing relevant skills in a person’s real-life environment rather than in a staged setting. With our Home & Community approach, we literally “meet you where you are”
Our home and community-based approach blends evidence-based therapies with creative uses of your own surroundings (and sometimes our borrowed bikes) – whether at home, school, work or out in the community.
Research demonstrates that addressing goals and barriers in real-life settings can increase motivation, ensure environmental validity, and lead to more durable outcomes. When it comes to selecting a bike, we customize the level of stability and supports to ensure that you have a safe, fun, and productive experience.
A home and bike-safety evaluation is an integral part of our approach. Before therapy begins, we’ll conduct a one- to two-hour inspection focused on addressing functional barriers in the home (or workplace) as well as determining which bike(s) might be best suited for an individual.
