How can AAC help someone with aphasia?
AAC can help individuals with aphasia in two ways. It can help to build language skills (remediation) and it can help make communication more successful (compensation). Remediation activities, such as tasks that address finding words, putting them in the right order, and/or understanding what others are saying frequently happen during speech and language therapy. AAC can be a tool for remediation by providing a visual and/or auditory cue that supports what the therapist is saying or how the person with aphasia should respond. AAC can also be used to compensate when individuals need to communicate but cannot effectively use their speech. Many times, these situations occur outside the therapy room and include the broad categories of daily activities (chatting about current events, ordering food at a restaurant, banking or creating a grocery list), personal narratives (maintaining closeness with family and friends by telling stories), and meeting specific needs (calling for assistance, pr
