Cognitive Impairment - What You Need to Know

This section looks at what cognitive impairment is and how you can identify it. The main points are that:

• Cognitive impairment is a term used to recognise a broad range of disorders that affect cognitive functioning, including intellectual disability, acquired brain injury and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
• People with cognitive impairment experience difficulties with a range of adaptive behaviours, including social, conceptual and practical skills they've learned in order to function in their everyday lives.
• Workers in drug and alcohol organisations are most likely to come into contact with people who have a mild impairment and who are generally able to live relatively independently but require some supports, particularly if problems arise.
• Cognitive impairment can often be hidden; it's likely that you already work with people who have an undetected cognitive impairment.

The three specific types of cognitive impairment covered in this chapter are intellectual disability, acquired brain injury and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. However, the practical strategies covered in Practice Tips for Workers and Making Your Service Complex Needs Capable can be broadly applied to other areas of complex need, not just cognitive impairment.