Feedback means giving information to the service member or veteran about how they are doing in their recovery, rehabilitation, or with a specific activity or task. A brain injury can make it challenging for a person to fully understand how they are behaving and how it affects others' reactions.
The best time to give feedback is right away, just after the situation happened or the activity or task was performed. If the service member or veteran has memory problems, it can be hard for them to remember what happened for very long. So immediate feedback is best.
Give feedback in a consistent and gentle manner. This may be hard at first, but keep practicing since it should get easier. A direct and supportive approach works best in most situations. For example, if you have been helping your family member relearn how to dress themselves, you may provide feedback such as, "That wasn’t correct, so try it again. Use the way you practiced in occupational therapy," or, "Good! I see you used the technique they taught you in occupational therapy."
Consistency is also key. Attend rehabilitation therapy sessions with the service member or veteran if possible to learn how to provide feedback. You will be able to observe how the service member or veteran responds to different types of feedback. The more consistent the approach, the more likely the feedback will have a positive impact.