Replication in Evidence-Based Aphasia Treatments.

Purpose: A critical review was completed to evaluate replication of aphasia treatments that have been vetted and accepted on the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Practice Portal.

Method: The electronic databases Academic Search Premier, ProQuest Central, CINAHL Complete, and ERIC were searched for relevant articles using treatment names as keywords. Coders compared stimuli, material, design, and statistical analysis to pilot treatment approaches.

Aphasia Practice in the Year 2026.

The purpose of this article is to envision how the clinical practice of aphasia management might be done 10 years in the future. The vision of how an individual clinician's daily tasks are changed is built on current trends, including the aging of the population, the life participation approach to aphasia, development and use of evidence-based practices, person-centered care, and technology. To be prepared for the future of these trends, we will need to develop clinical capacity, not only in the number of speech-language pathologists but also most importantly in their competence for using evidence-based practices and training others to support effective communication, including other health care providers.

Implementation Science: Buzzword or Game Changer?

Purpose: The purpose of this supplement article is to provide a resource of pertinent information concerning implementation science for immediate research application in communication sciences and disorders.

Method: Key terminology related to implementation science is reviewed. Practical suggestions for the application of implementation science theories and methodologies are provided, including an overview of hybrid research designs that simultaneously investigate clinical effectiveness and implementation as well as an introduction to approaches for engaging stakeholders in the research process.

Perceptions of speech-language pathologists linked to evidence-based practice use in skilled nursing facilities.

Purpose: This study explored whether perceptions of evidence or organizational context were associated with the use of external memory aids with residents with dementia in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).

Method: A survey design, supplemented by a small sample of exploratory interviews, was completed within the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services framework. Ninety-six speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and 68 facility rehabilitation directors (FRDs) completed the Organizational Readiness to Change Assessment (Helfrich, Li, Sharp, & Sales, 2009) in relationship to the use of external memory aids.

A case for the implementation of cognitive-communication screenings in acute stroke.

Purpose: The purpose of this article was to illustrate the importance of the implementation of cognitive-communication screenings in acute stroke and to discuss the need for further research on whether and how these screenings are implemented. Cognitive-communication screenings after stroke are the subject of existing practice guidelines and are supported by accumulated evidence.

Method: The author uses an autoethnographic narrative--a tool founded in phenomenology--to provide an in-depth description of the experiences of a family in which one member experienced right-hemispheric stroke.

What people living with aphasia think about the availability of aphasia resources.

Purpose: Obtaining health information and resources can influence an individual's (a) access to services, (b) interactions with health care providers, and (c) ability to manage one's own health needs. The purpose of this study was to gather the perceptions of consumers living with aphasia about resource availability and information needs.

Method: An online survey of consumers in the United States was conducted about the availability of aphasia resources.

Treatment fidelity: its importance and reported frequency in aphasia treatment studies.

Purpose: Treatment fidelity is a measure of the reliability of the administration of an intervention in a treatment study. It is an important aspect of the validity of a research study, and it has implications for the ultimate implementation of evidence-supported interventions in typical clinical settings.

Method: Aphasia treatment studies published in the last 10 years in 3 journals were reviewed using coding techniques that were adapted from Gresham, Gansle, Noell, Cohen, and Rosenblum (1993).

Neural correlates of semantic activation spreading on the path to picture naming in adults who stutter.

Objective: On the path to picture naming, words that relate semantically to the pictured object become activated in the mental lexicon. We used a neuroscientific approach to investigate this semantic activation spreading process in adults who stutter (AWS).

Methods: Fourteen AWS and 14 adults who do not stutter (AWNS) completed a picture-word priming task.

Finding messages in bottles: living successfully with stroke and aphasia.

The question "What does it take to live successfully with stroke and aphasia?" was posed and answers were sought within already published accounts written by people living with aphasia. Published accounts that were identified as eligible and included in the study had to meet the following criteria: they had to be a published book or journal article that would be nationally available; they had to be authored or co-authored by a person with chronic aphasia due to stroke; and they had to be a personal narrative of some type. 28 publications meeting these criteria were identified through a search of bibliographic databases and websites, and 20 were available for analysis.

Vocational and social outcomes of adults with chronic aphasia.

Unlabelled: Vocational and social outcomes of rehabilitation, such as employment, Social Integration, and life satisfaction, are critical determinants of the usefulness of rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to describe the employment status, Social Integration, and perceived life satisfaction of adults with chronic aphasia 2 years after discharge from an intensive treatment program. Among the 20 survey respondents, 62% of those who had been working prior to aphasia onset were also working at the time of follow-up.

Alternative family education programming for adults with chronic aphasia.

Serious psychological consequences and limited social access are significant effects of chronic aphasia due to stroke. There appears to be a need for ongoing family education and counseling throughout the chronic stage in order to address the psychosocial needs of these individuals and their families. We describe an alternative approach to family education for chronically aphasic individuals.