Elaine Sampson

Promoting cognitive support technology use and employment success among postsecondary students with traumatic brain injuries

OBJECTIVE: This article applies positive psychology principles to the purpose and objectives of a five-year, federallyfunded initiative to provide cognitive support technology (CST) training and career preparatory services for undergraduate college students with mild and moderate traumatic brain injuries (TBI). METHODS: A total of 48 students with TBI have participated in the project during its first 18 months of operation – 14 of whom are military veterans with disabilities who were in the Iraq and/or Afghanistan theaters. CONCLUSION: Positive psychology interventions such as Best Possible Self, Intensely Positive Experiences, and Assetbased Assessments provide a framework for examining the activities of this multi-site development project.

Project Career STAR web portal provides key information on supporting college students with traumatic brain injury

Project Career is a multi-site, multi-disciplinary demonstration grant funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). Kent State University serves as the program’s prime contractor with additional operational sites at Boston University and West Virginia University. JBS International, LLC is the fourth partner, managing the project’s data collection and analysis efforts. Project Career’s goal is to improve academic outcomes of college students who have incurred a traumatic brain injury, ultimately leading to enhanced employment opportunities. The project’s web portal is divided into stakeholder-driven categories for students, veterans, educators, service providers, and employers. Each section provides information pertinent to that specific audience. Referred to as STAR, the portal provides information about:

Accommodating individuals with traumatic brain injury: An analysis of employer-initiated cases handled by the Job Accommodation Network

BACKGROUND The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) has provided customized accommodation information to employers, individuals with disabilities, and their representatives (e.g., family, rehabilitation counselors, union representatives) since 1983. For each inquiry where such information is sought, detailed records are maintained regarding the type of inquiries made and the information provided. OBJECTIVE The objective of the current study is to present a descriptive analysis of the employer-initiated cases related to Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) handled by the accommodation specialists at JAN during the five years from 2012 through 2016. METHODS Records related to instances of TBI as recorded by the JAN accommodation specialists were reviewed. Information pertaining to the type of business, occupational category, limitations being experienced by the individual, and issues discussed with the accommodation specialist are presented. RESULTS The type of businesses and the occupational categories indicated by the employer were broad ranging, although there was a preponderance of cases in the area of Public Administration. Limitations related to cognition were the most frequent for which employers sought accommodation information. The largest category for the type of issues discussed was related to the Americans with Disabilities Act and other disability-pertinent legislation. CONCLUSIONS The incidence of employers seeking accommodation information for individuals who have incurred a TBI is very low (0.5%). Findings support those of other authors such as Ponsford and Spitz (2015), in that accommodation information was most frequently requested for individuals in professional (i.e., office-type jobs), rather than for laborer positions.

Cognitive Support Technology Approaches for Postsecondary Students With a Traumatic Brain Injury

Increasingly, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health problem affecting ~1.7 million Americans each year. Over 75% of TBIs are classified as mild and these rates are most likely underestimated. Despite the low severity rating, 5-15% of individuals go on to develop chronic, persistent TBI-related symptoms causing functional limitations. Project Career is an interprofessional demonstration providing continued support and services to 2-year and 4-year college students with a history of TBI. This program is designed to improve the employment success through a combination of assistive technology on iPads and individualized career counseling services as undergraduate students transition from university settings to the workplace. This demonstration presentation will engage participants in understanding the Project Career assessments and iPad Apps. Using a case study approach, participants will appraise appropriate Apps and advance their understanding of how the iPad can be used an an educational tool and cognitive support technology (CST).