Translation from Functional Training to Independent Living: The Importance of a Real-Time Feedforward-Feedback Approach

With the reducing median age of stroke sufferers and large numbers of survivors below the age of 45 years, patient needs have shifted significantly from functional training to regaining independence. Similarly, children with learning difficulties struggle to be independent of adult assistance in reading and writing tasks in spite of remedial classes. This paper describes the importance of real-time, multi-modal feedback in rehabilitation with an added component, namely, feedforward. It reports the effect of this approach to facilitate exploratory, sensory, and goal-directed learning for neurorehabilitation needs. Research outcomes from two studies with two diverse neurorehabilitation patient groups—adult stroke and children with learning difficulties—are presented to highlight the importance of this approach in the translation from functional training to independent living.