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.


"Positive and coordinated neuro-rehab interventions for children and young people is proven to bring health improvements; improve independence; reduces the need for sheltered living; decreases vulnerability; decreases drop-out rates in schools; decreases youth offending"
Eric Hermans; Netherlands
"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
"Healthy teens are better at identifying strategies to deal with barriers. KIDS WITH ABI'S CAN'T!"
Shari Wade; USA
"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
"Parent-supported interventions after paediatric ABI bring reductions to the cost to society"
Eric Hermans; Netherlands
"Pediatric neuro-rehabilitation cannot be delivered in isolation. The needs of the child have to be looked at both holistically and within the context of the family unit. Parents need to be empowered to be parents in post-acute pediatric neuro-rehabilitation following brain injury"
The Children's Trust; United Kingdom
"When different organisations assess different aspects of a child's neuro-rehabilitation needs, everyone looks at things from a different perspective and have conflicting priorities"
Cathy Jonson; Rehab without Walls; United Kingdom.
"We need to harness the power of brain plasticity for treating children and young people with brain injury, especially at the key ages of 0-3 and at ages 10-16"
Professor Bryan Kolb; Canada
This is the best support plan we have ever seen that will deliver the best outcomes for this young person.  The costings are 'spot on' and realistic'.  Direct Payments Team.  
"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

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.

Council for Disabled Children Community Funded Charity Excellence Lottery Funded Youth Foundation BBC CiN