Many psychological theories posit that certain developmental tasks are of primary importance during adolescence and early adulthood. These tasks may include establishing an identity, breaking away from the family of origin, and starting a job path. Many sociocultural factors influence the timing and importance of these and other tasks. This study will examine the perceived effects, if any, of traumatic brain injury (TBI) or spinal cord injury (SCI) in the life-story narratives of young adults. The impact of disability will be examined by contrasting the responses of these individuals to a matched sample of individuals without a disability. Using grounded theory, the stories will be examined for themes about identity and """"""""typical"""""""" developmental tasks. Linguistic analyses will also be done, because there is some evidence that narrative ability may be compromised by a brain injury. Fifty participants between 18 and 34 will be drawn from a larger quality of life study. Individuals' injuries will have occurred during high school, so school services might have been provided.
