Acquired brain injury is defined differently to a head injury or an intellectual disability. A brain injury usually occurs when the person has been unconscious for more than six hours.
A head injury is a separate issue which may occur when there is a loss of consciousness even for only a
few moments. Acquired Brain Injury is also different to an intellectual disability. People with brain injuries usually retain their intellectual abilities but have difficulty controlling, coordinating and communicating their thoughts and actions.
Acquired Brain Injury is often called "the hidden disability" because its long-term problems are usually in
the areas of thinking and behaviour. These are not as easy to see and recognise as many physical
disabilities. As a consequence, the difficulties people with brain injury face may be ignored or
misunderstood. There is very little understanding and knowledge in the community about brain injury
and its long-term effects.
Each year approximately 600 people in Western Australia acquire a brain injury for which they require
ongoing care. These statistics consider brain injury acquired by a multitude of means, such as stroke,
alcohol or drug abuse, tumor, road traffic accidents, poisoning, infection and disease, near drowning, haemorrahage, AIDS and a number of other disorders such as Parkinson's Disease, Multiple Scelerosis
and Alzheimer's Disease. Over the past decade these statistics in Acquired Brain Injury Accommodation
and Support Need (Stanton, 1994) have continued to grow.
One of the difficulties faced by many people who have acquired brain injury is that they show no outward signs of disability. However, they may have significant hidden disabilities. They may have:
• memory lapses or gaps
• difficulty in planning and following through
• problems in judgements
• difficulty with abstract thinking (needs simple, concrete direction)
• balance or spatial problems (eg judging distance)
• an inability to appreciate time
• uncertainty and lack of self-confidence
• confusion and lack of concentration, particularly when tired, often after lunch
• personality changes (eg mood swings, talks too much or too loudly, anxiety and depression)
• speech or other communication difficulties
• Seizures
No two injuries are alike. The extent and consequence of the damage varies widely from person to person.
Each person has their specific type of impediments to deal with and needs to be met. So the care and assistance for individuals varies. Their ability to represent these issues also varies. This is why individual advocacy is so important. It is vital to ensure that the particular needs for each individual are identified, understood, represented and addressed.