The inability of patients to participate fully in the goal-setting process largely determines the approach taken by therapists. This influences the level of patient centeredness incorporated into the goal-setting process. Goals expressed at the level of impairment, by therapists, may be stepping stones to perceived patient goals at the levels of activity and participation. Barriers to a patient centered approach can be overcome through education of the patient and family regarding the nature of the injury and modification of communication between therapist and patient.

Very few empirically validated interventions for improving metacognitive skills (i.e., self-awareness and self-regulation) and functional outcomes have been reported. This single-case experimental study presents JM, a 36-year-old man with a very severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) who demonstrated long-term awareness deficits. Treatment at four years post-injury involved a metacognitive contextual intervention based on a conceptualization of neuro-cognitive, psychological, and socio-environmental factors contributing to his awareness deficits. The 16-week intervention targeted error awareness and self-correction in two real life settings: (a) cooking at home; and (b) volunteer work. Outcome measures included behavioral observation of error behavior and standardized awareness measures. Relative to baseline performance in the cooking setting, JM demonstrated a 44% reduction in error frequency and increased self-correction. Although no spontaneous generalization was evident in the volunteer work setting, specific training in this environment led to a 39% decrease in errors. JM later gained paid employment and received brief metacognitive training in his work environment. JM's global self-knowledge of deficits assessed by self-report was unchanged after the program. Overall, the study provides preliminary support for a metacognitive contextual approach to improve error awareness and functional outcome in real life settings.

Previous research suggests considerable heterogeneity within groups of individuals identified as having low self-awareness or good self-awareness following acquired brain injury (ABI). The present study aimed to identify typologies of individuals according to neuropsychological and psychological factors related to awareness deficits and compare emotional adjustment and psychosocial outcomes at the initial assessment and 12-month follow-up. Eighty-four participants with ABI (mean time since injury = 3.9 years) were assessed on the Self-Awareness of Deficits Interview, Awareness Questionnaire, Symptom Expectancy Checklist, Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, Sydney Psychosocial Reintegration Scale, and an error self-regulation index. A 12-month follow-up assessment of emotional adjustment and psychosocial outcomes was conducted. A hierarchical cluster analysis distinguished four awareness typologies, namely, "poor self-awareness" (n = 12), "high defensiveness" (n = 13), "high symptom reporting" (n = 15), and "good self-awareness" (n = 44). An overall comparison of outcomes indicated that the poor self-awareness and high symptom reporting typologies experienced poorer outcomes than the high defensiveness and good self-awareness typologies. The findings confirm that there are different awareness typologies and highlight the need to tailor interventions according to the nature of awareness deficits.