Integrating the iPad into an intensive, comprehensive aphasia program.

The proliferation of tablet technology and the development of apps to support aphasia rehabilitation offer increasing opportunities for speech-language pathologists in a clinical setting. This article describes the components of an Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program at Boston University and details how usage of the iPad (Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA) was incorporated. We describe how the iPad was customized for use in individual, dyadic, and group treatment formats and how its use was encouraged through home practice tasks. In addition to providing the participants with step-by-step instructions for the usage of each new app, participants had multiple opportunities for practice across various treatment formats. Examples of how the participants continued using their iPad beyond the program suggest how the usage of this device has generalized into their day-to-day life. An overall summary of performance on targeted linguistic measures as well as an analysis of functional and quality-of-life measures reveal statistically significant improvements pre- to posttreatment.

Communication and quality of life outcomes from an interprofessional intensive, comprehensive, aphasia program (ICAP).

BACKGROUND: Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Programs (ICAPs) have developed in response to a growing need for treatments which produce changes in language function in people with aphasia, especially in the chronic phase of recovery. ICAPs are growing in number and several papers have presented preliminary results of their use, but little data exist about their efficacy or effectiveness. OBJECTIVE: This paper explores the communication effects of an ICAP program that incorporated evidenced-based individual and group treatment in an interprofessional program. METHOD: Twenty-seven individuals with chronic aphasia were provided with 30 h of interprofessional treatment a week for a four-week period in both individual and group formats. A delayed treatment, within-participant research protocol was used. Language measures were taken at two intervals pre- and two intervals post treatment. Functional, narrative, and quality of life measures were taken once pre and once post treatment. RESULTS: Significant change was observed on targeted language functions post treatment. Significant treatment effects were also observed on functional and quality of life measures as well as on all impairment-based language measures for the group. CONCLUSION: The results provide evidence of linguistic and quality of life change in individuals with chronic aphasia who were treated in an interprofessional ICAP.