Neuropsychological Treatment: Cognitive Remediation

ANTS Goal Management Training Program

Executive functions are a range of cognitive processes such as planning, reasoning and problem-solving, that are necessary for controlling everyday behaviours. Executive functions are necessary for goal-directed behaviour – the organisation of behaviours to achieve a goal. Deficits in executive functioning will often result in difficulties planning and working towards everyday tasks and long-term goals. Executive dysfunction can be attributed to brain damage and psychological conditions, such as depression and anxiety. However, executive dysfunction is highly prevalent, commonly experienced by healthy individuals.

What is the ANTS Goal Management Training Program?

We have adopted the Goal Management Training program at ANTS. The aim of this program is to build executive function by training individuals to understand, develop and achieve personal goals.

Individuals are trained to use compensatory strategies to improve goal management, focusing on skills such as mindfulness, memory and decision-making. Training sessions focus on the real-life experiences of participants; maximising their existing skills and facilitating the achievement of their everyday goals.

Program Structure

There are two options for completing this course:

1. Once weekly two-hour group sessions for 9 weeks plus a pre-intervention individual assessment and post-intervention individual assessment/feedback session, totalling 11 sessions. Cost = POA
2. As per 1. plus once weekly individual sessions to tailor program content to your specific needs and goals. This totals 20 sessions. Cost = $2200 to $3300

Group content includes the following modules:

• Absentmindedness and present-mindedness
• Absentminded slip-ups
• The automatic pilot
• Stop the automatic pilot
• The mental blackboard
• State your goal
• Making decisions
• Splitting tasks into subtasks
• Checking (STOP!)

Who would benefit from the ANTS Goal Management Training Program?

The goal management training program will benefit individuals who experience executive dysfunctions due to brain diseases and brain damage from stroke, tumour or traumatic brain injury.

Goal management training can also be applied to individuals with executive dysfunction due to other factors, such as substance abuse and age-related cognitive deficits as seen in the elderly.

ANTS Memory Skills Program: “Making the Most of Your Memory”

Problems with everyday memory – retaining new information, remembering distant memories and upcoming tasks – can significantly disrupt daily living. For example, difficulties with remembering what you intend to do can affect the completion of daily tasks and hinder independent living. Such concerns are commonly reported by individuals with neurological conditions like traumatic brain injury.

Neuropsychological interventions like memory training have been shown to enhance the functional memory abilities of individuals recovering from neurological conditions. Moreover, consistent practice of strategies has resulted in functional brain changes.

What is the ANTS Memory Skills Program?

We have adopted the “Making the Most of Your Memory” training program at ANTS. The program was designed to improve memory through developing practical knowledge and skills. Strategies are designed to be readily applicable to a wide variety of everyday situations that require memory. Training is combined with extensive psychoeducation to build awareness of the different cognitive resources that can be used to improve memory.

Program Structure

There are two options for completing this course:

1. Once weekly two-hour group sessions for six weeks plus a pre-intervention individual assessment and post-intervention individual assessment/feedback session, totalling eight sessions. Cost = POA
2. As per 1. plus once weekly individual sessions to tailor program content to your specific needs and goals. This totals 14 sessions. Cost = $1100 to $2200

Group content includes:

• Compensatory strategies – using mental strategies and external aids to improve memory.
• Improving functional memory processes, such as attention, encoding, storage and retrieval.
• Psychoeducation - to increase understanding of memory problems, promoting self-awareness and self-efficacy.

Who would benefit from the ANTS Memory Skills Program?

The program was designed to assist individuals with everyday memory problems, specifically those with non-progressive neurological disorders. These conditions include traumatic brain injury, epilepsy and stroke.

The training sessions can also be applied to individuals who experience everyday memory problems, without a neurological condition.

ANTS Social Skills Program: “Improving First Impressions”

‘Social skills’ refers to the range of verbal and non-verbal behaviours involved in communicating and interacting with others. Individuals with cognitive impairments commonly experience impaired social skills. Thus, reintegration and participation in the community is often faced with difficulty. Evidence-based and structured social skills training has been shown to be effective in improving peoples’ ability to successfully engage with others.

What is the ANTS Social Skills Program?

We have adopted the “Improving First Impressions” training program at ANTS. The aim of this program is to improve the social skills of individuals who have cognitive impairments, in order to assist with their social reintegration. The program aims to maximise social skills and encourage participation in everyday contexts.

Relevant cognitive deficits (e.g. attention, memory, social perception) and mental health concerns (e.g. self-esteem, confidence) are addressed alongside social skills training to assist with the individual’s continued improvement in social situations.

Program Structure

There are two options for completing this course:

1. Once weekly two-hour group sessions for 12 weeks plus a pre-intervention individual assessment and post-intervention individual assessment/feedback session, totalling 14 sessions. Cost = POA
2. As per 1. plus once weekly individual sessions to tailor program content to your specific needs and goals. This totals 26 sessions. Cost = $3300 to $4400

Group content includes:

• Making introductions
• Listening and watching
• Starting a conversation
• Developing, maintaining and ending a conversation
• Topic selection
• Giving and accepting compliments
• Being assertive – Saying no
• Being assertive – Joining in
• Asking for and offering to help
• Coping with disagreements

Who would benefit from the ANTS Social Skills Program?

The program was designed to assist individuals who struggle in social contexts due to cognitive impairments. Individuals who experience difficulty in following, learning and applying complex cognitive strategies will benefit from this program.

This training is applicable to individuals who experience cognitive impairments due to wide range of clinical, sub-clinical or medical conditions. These include, but are not limited to: brain injuries, mild intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, schizophrenia, autism and Asperger’s syndrome.