Our clinicians regularly participate in professional development to further hone their skills and ensure that they remain up to date with the latest research evidence. One of our speech pathologists recently completed advanced training with Speech Pathology Australia in Metacognitive Strategy Instruction (MSI). This innovative approach is a powerful tool for helping individuals recovering from brain injuries to regain critical thinking and awareness skills to communicate effectively in their daily lives.

What is Metacognition?

Metacognition refers to “thinking about your thinking.” Essentially, it is the ability to reflect on your performance while carrying out a task, and then enact strategies to improve performance where needed. This skill is essential for everyday decision-making, problem-solving, and adapting to new challenges.  Here are some examples of moments we use metacognitive strategies:

  • Before going grocery shopping, you realize you might forget important items, so you decide to plan ahead by writing a detailed shopping list to stay organized and ensure you don’t miss anything.

  • During a work meeting, you notice you’re losing focus, so you decide to jot down key points to stay engaged and remember what was discussed.

  • While assembling furniture, you notice the steps don’t make sense, so you review the instructions again to identify where you might have misunderstood.

Metacognition in Brain Injury

For someone who has experienced a brain injury, these acts of planning, problem solving, and self-regulation are often a major challenge. In addition, individuals may experience reduced self-awareness, a condition known as anosognosia, where they struggle to recognize their own impairments. This discrepancy often becomes evident as loved ones notice changes in behaviour or abilities that the individual may not perceive.

Metacognitive Strategy Instruction

Metacognitive Strategy Instruction (MSI) is a therapeutic approach that directly targets increasing an individual’s self-awareness and explicit relearning of strategies to support cognitive and communicative processes. This structured approach helps individuals develop skills to independently plan, monitor, and adapt their strategies for completing tasks, improving their ability to function effectively in daily life. For example:

  • Goal Setting: Identifying specific, manageable objectives for a task.
  • Self-Monitoring: Encouraging individuals to pause and assess their progress.
  • Reflection: Discussing what worked well and what could improve for future tasks.

As speech pathologists, we support the use of these strategies in practical, everyday contexts. This might involve breaking tasks into smaller steps, using visual aids for reminders, or facilitating structured conversations to improve awareness of successes and challenges.

Take home message

Metacognitive Strategy Instruction (MSI) is just one way that we work with our clients to rebuild confidence and regain independence. By incorporating metacognitive strategies into therapy, we help our clients bridge the gap between their current abilities and their goals, fostering meaningful progress in their daily lives.

If you’d like to learn more about how metacognitive strategy instruction can support brain injury recovery, feel free to reach out to our team. We’re here to help! 

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