AAC strategies for people with primary progressive aphasia without dementia: two case studies

Abstract

This paper describes multimodality augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) strategies developed for two people with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) without dementia. One case focused primarily on an initial assessment while the other case emphasized intervention. AAC system development included communication needs analyses, communication board and book development, and gesture modeling. Intervention focused on providing contextual cues, teaching visually based AAC strategies, and facilitator training. Both people with PPA successfully learned AAC strategies to augment the strategies they generated themselves to improve their functional communication. The authors suggest specific features of AAC that may be useful for people with PPA.

• adult
• aphasia
• assessment
• augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)
• intervention
• language
• primary progressive aphasia (PPA)
• progressive impairment