How to Select the Best Therapy for Persons with Aphasia

Presented by Jacqueline Hinckley

12-Month Subscription

Unlimited access to:

  • Thousands of CE Courses
  • Patient Education
  • Home Exercise Program
  • And more
Video Runtime: 55 Minutes; Learning Assessment Runtime: 16 Minutes

Many therapies exist for treating patients with aphasia. Following the World Health Organization Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health, treatment strategies and techniques can be broadly classified into two groups: impairment-focused techniques and participation-focused techniques. Evidence exists to show that treatments in each group can facilitate improvement in the communication status and abilities of a person with aphasia. Because treatment techniques tend to be identified as impairment-focused techniques and participation-focused, clinicians tend to consider selection and application for treatment techniques as an “either-or” decision, which may not be the most efficient way to select treatment. In this course two models for selecting therapies will be discussed: the additive model in which therapies are often delivered in a sequential manner, and the integrative model in which therapy decisions are functionally guided from a top-down goal decomposition approach.

Meet your instructor

Jacqueline Hinckley

Dr. Jacqueline Hinckley is currently Associate Professor in Speech-Language Pathology at Nova Southeastern University and Executive Director Emeritus at Voices of Hope for Aphasia. Dr. Hinckley is the author of two books, Narrative-Based Practice in Speech-Language Pathology and What Is It Like to Have a…

Read full bio

Chapters & learning objectives

Introduction to Evidence-Supported Impairment and Participation-Focused Therapies

1. Introduction to Evidence-Supported Impairment and Participation-Focused Therapies

This chapter will define impairment and participation-focused therapies in aphasia treatment, with key examples of treatments for each category. The clinician’s challenge is to identify goals based on assessment and map appropriate treatment approaches to those goals. Resources from the ASHA Practice Portal will be highlighted as a guide for clinicians seeking to use evidence-supported therapies.

A Typical “Additive” Model to Selecting Therapies

2. A Typical “Additive” Model to Selecting Therapies

A case example will be used to demonstrate how typical impairment-focused assessments drive us to write impairment-focused goals. Therapy is often initially impairment-focused. In order to achieve transfer and generalization, participation-focused therapies are often “added on” to an impairment-focused model.

An Integrative Model to Selecting Therapies

3. An Integrative Model to Selecting Therapies

The same case example as in Chapter 2 will be used to contrast an integrative approach to treatment selection. First, the client’s priorities are used as a basis for assessment and goal formulation. A demonstration will show how this approach results in very different treatment selections than in the Additive Model described in Chapter 2.

How the Integrative Model Can Change Clinical Outcomes

4. How the Integrative Model Can Change Clinical Outcomes

Research and clinical examples will be used to highlight how clinical outcomes and clinical efficiency can be affected by using an integrative model. For example, when fewer treatment sessions are available, an integrative model focused on specific client goals may be more effective and efficient over the long term.

A Final Case Example and Conclusions

5. A Final Case Example and Conclusions

A different case example will be utilized to facilitate the transfer of learning from the previous case example to a different case. The integrative model will be highlighted and summarized.