About the Author

Sheila MacDonald is a speech-language pathologist, clinician, author, researcher and educator with over 28 years’ experience in assessing and treating individuals with acquired brain injuries (ABI).  Her clinical experience spans from acute care, through to community, and return to work and school. She is the author of two standardized tests of higher level cognitive-communication skills: The Functional Assessment of Verbal Reasoning and Executive Strategies for adults (FAVRES) and the student version (SFAVRES).  She has co-authored a treatment book, and other publications related to assessment, intervention, and evidence based practice. She has participated in the development of clinical practice guidelines for speech-language pathologists working in the field of brain injury (e.g. www.caslpo.com). She is the developer and instructor of the Cognitive-Communication Clinical Short Courses for Speech-Language Pathologists (CCD Level 1 & 2). These short courses have been endorsed by several speech-language pathology associations and are taught nationally and internationally. She is an invited speaker, consultant, and educator on topics including: assessment & treatment methods, strategies for individuals, families, & professionals, and vocational and academic re-entry.

In her former position at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Sheila served as manager of Speech-Language Pathology, chair of the Head Injury Team, and as a clinical educator for the University of Toronto. This clinical/teaching position included inpatient neurotrauma and long term follow up in the head injury clinic, which provided her with the opportunity to work with 150-200 individuals with ABI per year. The team’s multidisciplinary follow up research highlighted the need for assessment measures designed specifically to detect the subtle cognitive-communication deficits associated with ABI.

Sheila has participated in community agency boards, provincial associations and government initiatives and has served as a member of the TBI Evidence Based Practice Committee of the Academy of Neurological Communication Disorders (www.ancds.org) and as an editor for the International Brain Injury Association’s NeuroTraumaLetter (www.ibia.com). Sheila currently has a community private practice in which she assists individuals with cognitive and communication skills required for daily interactions at home, work and school. This work has led to many hours with individuals in their real world environments along with their families, teachers and employers.