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Program using technology to help people with brain injuries

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — On Aug. 12, 2016, Mike Vaughan was in a very serious car crash. His red Volkswagen Golf was crushed under a semi.

“I was hurt very seriously. I had to get brain surgery,” said Vaughan.

He was in a coma for 28 days and rehab for many more.

“At home, after I got out of Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana, I was trying to get what I thought was blood off of my face, it’s just a scar,” said Vaughan.

The scar, a visible reminder of the accident. There are many more reminders that are unseen.

“I have OCD tendencies now, I’m less social, not just in general because I don’t have the motivation to be,” he said,  “I have very serious problem with attention span and motivation.”

But an app is helping change that.

“Every day, I get on there, open Elevate and I do like these training sessions, they call them and they can help with focus and like listening retention and I actually have noticed they actually help quite a bit,” he said.

The app was introduced to him at a B.I.T.E.S meeting at Easterseals Crossroad on the north side of Indianapolis.

‘B.I.T.E.S stands for brain injury technology and educational supports,” said Brian Norton, director of assistive technology.

“We started a support group six months ago for folks with brain injury, looking at ways for them to be able to use everyday technology and we’re taking that everyday technology and realizing what it might be able to do for them, to overcome some of the challenges that they deal with day in and day out,” said Norton.

10 to 20 people have been attending the B.I.T.E.S meetings every third Wednesday of the month.

“My main draw to the B.I.T.E.S meetings was that it was like it’s technology focused and I thought I could help other people there but I also think that I stand to benefit from it, like socially, too,” said Vaughan.

He’s able to learn alongside those who understand what he’s been through.

For more information on B.I.T.E.S, click here.