This is primarily addressed to those who have already completed their education and have started working. It seems to me that in the absence of any other information that the beginning of abstract reasoning is mulling. This has as a pre-requisite some working memory if one is to complete this task in their own mind without the aid of pen and paper.

Logic was thought to be developed with the aid of puzzles, however all this did was to get the subject good at these puzzles. These exercises need to be selected from life situations to make them relevant and transferrable. The ability to develop this sort of problem-solving is also a skill which needs to be developed.

Once a subject can begin to hold a few facts in their head it is time to start the long journey of abstract reasoning restoration. To be sure, if the survivor was not exhibiting any significant abstract reasoning   prior to the trauma then they are not likely to see any merit in this sort of endeavour.  When testing of these skills are undertaken usually they consist of timed puzzles. However, in real life problems can be thought about for a couple of weeks even.

To start with it is simply holding 4 or 5 facts or objects in your working memory. Mull on these for a few moments of time.  Think of the relationship between the objects. Next change one of the objects for another object. Think about these relationships for another few moments. Then switch them up and start with a totally fresh set of facts or objects. Again, think about these for a number of minutes, then switch them out again. There is no hard and fast formula here. It is your mind after all.

This requires some curiosity on the part of the survivor. This can be developed at the same time, slowly   at first. This should lead eventually to a curious self-stimulating brain.  This process should be coupled with the redevelopment of the memory function. Together, when the survivor develops a desire to return to what they were cognitively before the trauma, these two activities will deal with a lot of the typical deficits of the survivor.

Gradually lengthen this process until doing it for about 3 hours is easy.  Keep working on it – do not let it get you down that your time is not spent doing easy things. Rehabilitation is hard work after all – not many are permitted to partake in this process.

The ability to develop good questions is also a skill. This ability to pose a root cause question is a skill valued in industry, and it should be thought highly of in the rehabilitation paradigm also.