Communicating with pictographs: A graphic approach to the improvement of communicative interactions

Abstract

Attempts have been made to improve the communicative abilities of severely impaired aphasics by teaching them a non-verbal communication system. The results from studies in which aphasics were trained to use alternative symbol systems have not been too encouraging. The possibility of teaching aphasic patients to communicate with the aid of pictographs has remained unexplored. A therapy programme aimed at training aphasic patients with little or no usable speech to convey messages pictorially is introduced. The programme proceeds from the receptive and expressive use of pictographs encountered in everyday life to the spontaneous production of line-drawings in response to questions.