Why is Intensive Aphasia Treatment the best choice?
Intensive treatment has most often been defined as a
treatment program that offers 10-30 hours of therapy weekly
for a certain number of weeks. An intensive treatment
schedule means that a number of therapy hours are provided
in a more concentrated, compressed way – over a shorter
period of time.
Consider the following example. A person receives one
month of outpatient speech-language therapy at a rate of
three hours per week. This is equal to a total of 12 hours
of therapy. (3 hours per week x 4 weeks). In an intensive schedule at The Aphasia Center, twelve hours of therapy would be offered in 2-3 days – not one month. See our cost comparison information.
Is there any difference between intensive and
non-intensive treatment?
You betcha! Intensive aphasia treatment has routinely been
shown to produce larger effects than non-intensive
treatment. A group of Italian researchers (Denes et al,
1996) showed that even people with severe aphasia did better
in an intensive treatment schedule than those assigned to a
non-intensive schedule. In a different study, Hinckley &
Craig (1998) compared outcomes associated with intensive and
non-intensive schedules among the same individuals. There
was a consistent effect of intensive treatment – individuals
did better in intensive treatment than the same individuals
did in non-intensive treatment.
These studies, in addition to many other studies, show
that many people with aphasia will make more improvements in
a shorter period of time with intensive treatment. Intensive
treatment produces larger effects because there are more
practice opportunities in a day and in a week.
More treatment time allows for treatment of a broader
range of communication skills, producing an overall larger
effect.
What can I expect to gain from intensive aphasia
treatment?
On average, people with aphasia who participate in intensive treatment make improvements at a much more rapid pace compared to non-intensive treatment. In some cases, certain communication skills will improve during intensive treatment that may not improve during non-intensive treatment. These are general statements only, and may vary from one individual to another. See our outcomes data and testimonials.
What does the Aphasia Center do differently than the outpatient facilities?
At the Aphasia Center at Steps Forward, we treat you like a family member. We only accept a maximum of 6 persons at a time because we want to provide each individual with personalized service. This means we tailor your therapy to you! No worksheets during sessions, no endless naming of picture cards, no copying meaningless sentences, etc. We want to get you back to the activities you enjoy--work, church, talking on the phone, reading the newspaper, going to school, visiting with friends, ordering at a restaurant, etc. We'll provide support and counseling for aphasia-related issues, caregiver training, talk to your employer, and many other things that are important to you. We call you after discharge to check up on you, may visit you at your home, or may invite you for a reunion.
