Abstract:
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) creates a range of behavioural challenges that limit an
individual’s ability to engage with leisure activities independently. One such behavioural
sequelae is a lack of initiation. Therefore, many individuals with TBI have a low level of
engagement in leisure activities unless they are prompted by carers. Engagement in leisure
activities is an important part of living a fulfilling and high-quality life. The current study used
an ABABAB (and variants) design to compare two interventions to see which was more effective
at increasing engagement in leisure activities for individuals with TBI. The first intervention was
an enriched environment that used proximal prompts and a one-off verbal prompt. The second
intervention was the check-in procedure which used proximal prompts with regular verbal
prompts in the form of choice and praise. The interventions were delivered via telehealth
(synchronised video call) due to the COVID-19 related restrictions in New Zealand during the
study. The results show that the interventions increased engagement in leisure activities for two
out of three participants. There is evidence that the enriched environment and check-in procedure
interventions can be successfully delivered via telehealth with the support of an in-home carer.
