Children & Young People’ Services

Neuro-rehabilitation for Children and Young People

With an acquired brain injury, neuro-rehabilitation means regaining as much of your life prior to the accident or illness. Whilst 100% may not always be possible – with the right help and support – significant improvements can be made. The journey towards recovery often continues for many years and our approach is to be with you for the long road, not take the short cuts.

Recovery following an acquired brain injury requires support to help a person to regain lost skills. This is so important because if you don’t use them; you lose them! We believe that neuro-rehabilitation interventions should be delivered following a detailed assessment and in a way that is tailored to individual need and at a time and place that is suitable for you and your family.

Our view is that wherever possible, children and young people should be rehabilitated at home because home is where they want to be – not in a hospital. Children also improve as they start to resume a ‘normal’ life with their family around them. So at MATRIX we provide personalised home-based rehabilitation therapy so you don’t have to travel to receive it. Our aim is to ensure your family gets what you actually ‘need’ not what is provided.

We also think that neuro-rehabilitation support should not be limited to health needs alone. Happiness and wellbeing has many different facets and if all are not met this can lead to negative outcomes. MATRIX’s unique approach is therefore to provide for ALL the rehabilitation needs of the child or young person to ensure they continue to improve, achieve and develop. Our neuro-rehabilitation support plans therefore encompasses all aspects of a child or young person’s needs for the long term which includes aspects of health, education and social care.

"We are medical practitioners. The real experts are the parents. Over the last 35 years they have taught me everything I know"

Lucia Braga; Brazil

"Children and young people have poor social competence post brain injury due to reduced cognition, executive functions, and emotional control. As a result they are twice as likely to have mental health issues in the future"

James Tonks; University of London

"When someone has a brain injury, early access to local, specialist rehabilitation is crucial to ensure the maximum recovery and make significant savings to the state in health costs"

Headway; United Kingdom

"We would like to see earlier identification and support for children with brain injuries to help them succeed in school."

Dalton Leong; Chief Executive of the Children's Trust

"Too often children and young people with ABI are discharged from hospital without specialist brain support that they and their families need to overcome lifelong challenges"

Andrew Ross; former Chief Executive of the Children's Trust

"More play increases brain plasticity and makes for better recovery post brain injury"

Professor Bryan Kolb; Canada

"There are problems with getting people into neuro-rehab. Those most in need are often those most excluded due to a lack of socio-economic resources."

Vicki Anderson; Australia

"Healthy teens are better at identifying strategies to deal with barriers. KIDS WITH ABI'S CAN'T!"

Shari Wade; USA

"Different 'experts' involved in paediatric neuro-rehabilitation come from different organisational cultures which causes conflict and has a negative effect on the outcomes for the child."

Barbara O'Connell; Ireland

"NHS clinicians struggle with what intervention to prioritise in paediatric neuro-rehabilitation due to limited clinical time and the complexity of needs. Children, clinicians, parents and schools all have different neuro-rehabilitation priorities"

Recolo; United Kingdom

OUR MISSION: To work to remove inequalities for children & young people affected by acquired brain injury; and provide effective support to their families that makes a real difference to their lives.