Hello!

I had the privilege to attend the ASHA Health Care Summit: Grand Rounds in Aphasia Management in Chicago earlier this month. This one-day conference was a collaboration with the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, the top rehab hospital in the US. We heard some excellent presentations, so I wanted to share a few key points:

The biggest clinical challenge

In a poll of the 100+ speech pathologists in the audience, 53% said their biggest clinical challenge with aphasia is achieving sufficient intervention intensity. And that makes sense! Patients often only come to therapy a few times a week as an outpatient, or less than an hour a day if they're an inpatient. That's not enough for most of our treatments to change the brain.

To help with this, we need to make sure we're using "high mileage interventions", or therapy techniques that target a variety of modalities (like talking, reading, and writing) to get the most bang for our buck. An example of one of these treatments is VNeST, the therapy technique incorporated into the Create activity in our Advanced Naming Therapy app.

The key to therapy that works

There's lots of research showing that speech therapy works, but not a lot to show which therapy approach is better than another. What we do see over and over again in research is when we increase the intensity (the amount of time doing therapy) and we increase the frequency (how often we do therapy), we see an increase in positive outcomes of therapy. There's plenty of evidence that all kinds of treatment delivery methods work too, including computer software and self-management. (Reference)

Apps are an easy way to increase both the intensity and frequency of treatment outside of therapy sessions. The Tactus apps can be used anytime or anywhere once they're downloaded on your Apple or Android device. Find the right apps for you.​

Listen to the experts

After a full day of listening to researchers and speech pathologists present information on how to deliver better aphasia therapy, we heard from the true experts: people with aphasia and their loved ones. They shared so many important messages, but the ones that resonated with me were these:

• Don't let the person with aphasia feel invisible. Talk to them. Involve them.
• Give printed information that can be referenced when it's needed, and make sure it includes things that families can do to help - not just facts and figures. (We've got a handout like this ready for you to download and use.)
• For those with aphasia, you need to "get comfortable being uncomfortable." Life with aphasia isn't easy, but you have to get back out there and try or it will pass you by. Not one of the people who spoke at this conference did so easily, but they made a huge impact with their messages.
• Find new activities that give you a sense of purpose. Volunteering, being a peer mentor at the hospital, traveling, art and poetry, choirs, book clubs, advocating for aphasia rights and services - whatever you can do that brings you joy and a sense of accomplishment.

I hope some of that information resonates with you for your caseload, loved one, or yourself.

All the best,

Megan

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PSst: All the Tactus Therapy apps will be ON SALE from May 1 to May 15! You can save big on all our apps, worldwide, with no codes or coupons required. This only happens twice a year, so get ready!

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