"Waiting on the words": procedures and outcomes of a drama class for individuals with aphasia.

Drama therapy offers an authentic medium through which people with aphasia can interact and share their experiences. We describe the rationale and procedures of a drama class, informed by the principles and practices of drama therapy, in which individuals with chronic aphasia conceptualized, wrote, and produced a play addressing their experiences of having, living with, and coping with the effects of aphasia. Sessions were cofacilitated by a speech-language pathologist and a drama therapist.

Family involvement in the treatment of aphasia.

This case study was designed to determine whether a family-based approach to speech language therapy as defined by Andrews and Andrews (1990) provides a cost-effective approach to speech language treatment of chronic aphasia. A patient with chronic moderate Broca's aphasia participated in both conventional aphasia treatment and family-based treatment. Resu Its demonstrated that in this patient family-based therapy was at least as effective for communication improvement as traditional aphasia therapy and that it shows promise as a cost-effective adjunct or alternative to traditional treatment in patients with chronic aphasia.

The young stroke patient: A need for specialized group support systems.

Young stroke patients (<65 years of age) account annually for more than one quarter of the people who survive a stroke. This article demonstrates the necessity of providing ongoing stroke support networks for these young stroke survivors and their families and caregivers. Through a support group system, members have the opportunity to access education, socialization, emotional support, and community interaction.