Cognitive rehabilitation and its relationship to cognitive-neuropsychological rehabilitation

This chapter draws attention to the conceptual and operational differences between cognitive-neuropsychological rehabilitation and cognitive rehabilitation. Three of the major differences are that cognitive-neuropsychological rehabilitation relies on cognitive models of the impaired processing system for assessment and for treatment definition whereas cognitive rehabilitation does not; cognitive-neuropsychological rehabilitation emphasizes restoration of function rather than compensation whereas cognitive rehabilitation does not; and cognitive rehabilitation is used only for treating acquired cognitive disorders whereas cognitive-neuropsychological rehabilitation is applied also to developmental disorders of cognition. We draw attention in this chapter to the differences between cognitiveneuropsychological rehabilitation and cognitive rehabilitation. Three of the major differences are (a) that cognitive-neuropsychological rehabilitation relies on cognitive models of the impaired processing system for assessment and for treatment definition whereas cognitive rehabilitation does not; (b) cognitiveneuropsychological rehabilitation emphasizes restoration of function rather than compensation whereas cognitive rehabilitation does not; and (c) cognitive rehabilitation is used only for treating acquired cognitive disorders (those acquired through brain damage) whereas cognitive-neuropsychological rehabilitation is applied also to developmental disorders of cognition. The methods of cognitiveneuropsychological rehabilitation are illustrated by description of a treatment study of developmental surface dysgraphia.