PACE revisited

Abstract

Background: PACE therapy is a widely referenced treatment procedure that was developed nearly 30 years ago. Since then, several critiques and studies of the procedure have been published, and the climate for rehabilitation in the United States has changed dramatically.

Aims: The main goals of this retrospective essay are to introduce new clinicians to PACE therapy and analyse what has been published about the procedure for experienced aphasiologists.

Main Contribution: The article provides a description and history of the procedure and then proceeds with discussions of conceptualisation, modifications, and efficacy. Responses to several concerns about PACE should clarify many aspects of the procedure. These concerns include the procedure's naturalness, applicability to a variety of patients, and absence of corrective feedback.

Conclusions: PACE has an uncertain place in the healthcare environment of the United States. Because of its mixed reviews and unsettled efficacy, it may still be considered to be an experimental treatment.

Notes

Address correspondence to: G. Albyn Davis PhD, Communication Disorders, Arnold House, University of Massachusetts, Box 30410, Amherst, MA 01003‐0410, USA. Email: [email protected]

Additional information

Notes on contributors

G. Albyn Davis

Address correspondence to: G. Albyn Davis PhD, Communication Disorders, Arnold House, University of Massachusetts, Box 30410, Amherst, MA 01003‐0410, USA. Email: [email protected]