ABSTRACT
This chapter seeks to apply behavioural methods of treatment to a group of severely traumatically brain-injured adults with behaviour disorders, and upon resulting theoretical and experimental considerations. Behaviour disorders are common in die brain-injured, and can severely impede or prevent physical and psychological rehabilitation. There are three main ways in which behaviour modification is applied to the sorts of behaviour disorders seen in brain-injured individuals. These are: to control or eliminate undesirable behaviours, to shape existing behaviours into more appropriate or constructive forms and to evince behaviours where drive and motivation deficits are prominent. Motivation is central to rehabilitation following any form of disablement, but in head-injury it is a major problem, because various aspects of motivation can be disturbed. One effective way of dealing with undesirable behaviours is to introduce the traditional period of 'time-out from positive reinforcement'. There are some ways in which brain-injured patients need to develop behaviours to increase their chances of return to normal society.
