This is the first single-authored book to attempt to bridge the gap between aphasia research and the rehabilitation of patients with this language disorder. Studies of the deficits underlying aphasia and the practice of aphasia rehabilitation have often diverged, and the relationship between theory and practice in aphasiology is loose. The goal of this book is to help close this gap by making explicit the relationship between what is to be rehabilitated and how to rehabilitate it.Early chapters cover the history of aphasia and its therapy from Broca's discoveries to the 1970s, and provide a description of the classic aphasia syndromes. The middle section describes the contribution of cognitive neuropsychology and the treatment models it has inspired. It includes discussion of the relationship between the treatment approach and the functional model upon which it is based. The final chapters deal with aphasia therapy. After providing a sketch of a working theory of aphasia, Basso describes intervention procedures for disorders resulting from damage at the lexical and sentence levels as well as a more general conversation-based intervention for severe aphasics.Anna Basso has run an aphasia rehabilitation unit for more than thirty years. In this book she draws on her considerable experience to provide researchers, clinicians, and their students and trainees in speech-language pathology and therapy, aphasiology, and neuropsychology with comprehensive coverage of the evolution and state of the art of aphasia research and therapy.

The Aphasia Therapy Files represent a practical resource for people who work with individuals with aphasia, either as therapists or as researchers. An overview of issues associated with current practices is combined with a study of the practicalities of determining, designing and implementing therapies. This second volume continues to explore the possibility of bridging the gap between therapy in a clinical setting and the practical issues faced by the person living with aphasia. Each author presents one or more of their clinical practices in order to share their therapy experiences and reasoning with others. These contributions provide an insight into the complex issues that face both the practitioner and the person with aphasia, including discussion of subjects such as: Revealing competence and rethinking identity for people with severe aphasia using drawing and a communication book Respecting the rights of a person with aphasia to their own life choices: a longitudinal therapy study A group approach to the long-term rehabilitation of people with acquired head injury within the community Lexical and functionally based treatment: effects on word retrieval and conversation While each of the chapters is of considerable interest on its own, the final chapter offers readers a method of describing and capturing what happens in therapy and why, to enable comparisons between therapies and application by readers themselves. Written by speech and language therapists working in clinical practice, the studies included in this unique resource reflect the realities of everyday practice and will appeal to therapists, students and researchers in aphasia.

This is the first single-authored book to attempt to bridge the gap between aphasia research and the rehabilitation of patients with this language disorder. Studies of the deficits underlying aphasia and the practice of aphasia rehabilitation have often diverged, and the relationship between theory and practice in aphasiology is loose. The goal of this book is to help close this gap by making explicit the relationship between what is to be rehabilitated and how to rehabilitate it. Early chapters cover the history of aphasia and its therapy from Broca's discoveries to the 1970s, and provide a description of the classic aphasia syndromes. The middle section describes the contribution of cognitive neuropsychology and the treatment models it has inspired. It includes discussion of the relationship between the treatment approach and the functional model upon which it is based. The final chapters deal with aphasia therapy. After providing a sketch of a working theory of aphasia, Basso describes intervention procedures for disorders resulting from damage at the lexical and sentence levels as well as a more general conversation-based intervention for severe aphasics. Anna Basso has run an aphasia rehabilitation unit for more than thirty years. In this book she draws on her considerable experience to provide researchers, clinicians, and their students and trainees in speech-language pathology and therapy, aphasiology, and neuropsychology with comprehensive coverage of the evolution and state of the art of aphasia research and therapy.

It is now widely expected that scientific evidence and theory should be used to describe aphasia and aphasia therapy. This book provides review chapters on controversial research and clinical issues in aphasia and aphasia therapy. Contributions from distinguished scholars from all over the world (Europe, America, Australia) cover the range of disciplines involved in aphasia, including neurology of aphasia, cognitive and linguistic approaches to aphasic therapy, psychosocial approaches, aphasia research methodology, and efficacy of aphasia therapy. This book brings together contributions of all these disciplines and makes a link between theory and therapy from a scientific perspective. Each chapter offers a current review with extensive references, thus providing a useful resource for clinicians, students and researchers involved in aphasia and aphasic therapy including doctors, psychologists,linguists and speech and language therapists. The papers in this book were presented at the first European Research Conference on Aphasia.

Using the Systems Approach for Aphasia introduces therapists to systems theory, exploring the way in which a holistic method that is already a key part of other health and social care settings can be employed in aphasia therapy. Detailed case studies from the author’s own extensive experience demonstrate how systemic tools can be incorporated into practice, offering practical suggestions for service delivery and caseload management in frequently overloaded community health services. Exploring the treatment process from first encounters, through the management of goals and attainments, to caring for patients after therapy has ended, the book demonstrates a method of delivering therapy in a way that will better serve the people who live with aphasia and their families, as well as the clinician themselves. Key features of this book include: • An accessible overview of systems theory and its use in aphasia therapy. • Consideration of how current popular ideas such as self-management, holistic rehabilitation and compassion focussed therapy can be incorporated to provide the best treatment. • Guidance on when and how to involve families based on case studies. • Case studies throughout to fully illustrate systemic approaches. An essential resource for both students and seasoned clinicians, the theory explored in this book will provide a fresh approach to therapy and new skills for working with people with aphasia and their families.