Search

People with dementia and their families want to see speech and language therapists!

Language and communication difficulties are common in Alzheimer’s disease and, of course, language-led dementia (primary progressive aphasia). Communication difficulties are highlighted as one of the biggest burdens for family members caring for loved ones with dementia. This is often associated...

Maintaining a voice throughout the MND journey

Amytrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as motor neurone disease (MND), is a progressive neurological disease that destroys the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movements resulting in severe dysarthria in 95% of people with MND. It may lead to...

Great gains in groups: language led dementia

The number of people living with dementia is increasing as our population increases and delivering relevant and timely services can be a challenge. Group intervention provides a method of delivering services to a larger number of people and can have...

PACT or Partners of Aphasic Clients Conversation Training

There is an increasing recognition that families and caregivers of patients require special training to manage their wards. PACT or Partners of aphasic patients Conversation Training is an initiative which aims to improve awareness of methods of communicating with aphasic...

Planning for the long term when working with young people with TBI

Traumatic brain injuries are most common amongst young people and can have long term consequences. The authors of this article provide an approach to management of cognitive and communication difficulties which starts with a detailed assessment using the model of...

Reduce medical errors by improving communication: supporting vulnerable people

This article starts by emphasising that communication failures are a fairly common cause of medical errors. They highlight that people with dysarthria can experience significant communication difficulties and are at particular risk of this type of breakdown in care. People...

Literacy and communication skills of young offenders

This article elucidates the perceptions and experiences of young offenders about their own literacy and communication skills. Young offenders (YOs) are usually between the age of 14 and 16. It is estimated that more than 60% of these offenders have...

Bespoke is best for children with communication difficulties

Children with communication difficulties can benefit from augmentative alternative communication (AAC) aids to support them in daily interaction, as well as in developing milestones. One of the most difficult aspects of choosing a device is not only meeting the child’s...

How can disabled children communicate more during family leisure time?

This article aims to provide guidance on how to integrate alternative augmentative communication (AAC) use into family leisure time. The authors highlight that ensuring the use of AAC in this highly valued activity can maximise carryover to real conversations. The...

Socially appropriate part 1: assessing people with TBI

Social communication disorders are one of the most common and yet most under-addressed sequelae of a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Yet speech and language therapists report a lack of assessment tools and a lack of time to fully assess these...

Remembering how to speak

Reminiscence therapy (RT) is an approach that provides people with dementia opportunities to recount nostalgic memories and access thoughts for communication. It is one of the most commonly used therapies in aged care settings. The aim of RT is to...