SPTH3901 Professional Studies and Communication Sciences 3A (Acquired Language Disorders 1)

Clare Coulter

2019

4.5

2 x 2-hour lectures per semester
1 x 1-hour on-line exercises weekly
2 x 2-hour case studies weekly

1 Admission into BSPP-Bachelor of Speech Pathology
1a Admission into HBSPTH-Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours)
2 1 of SPTH1103, SPTH2404
Must Satisfy: ((1 or 1a) and 2)

Assignments; Examinations (40%); Tutorial Participation

Using a series of case studies and supported by lectures and workshops this topic introduces students to knowledge of the aetiology, nature, prognosis, mechanisms, course and management of acquired language disorders, especially aphasia. Specifically, the following areas will be addressed:

Comprehensive assessment of aphasia
- Impact of aphasia on an individual's function, participation and quality of life
- The appraisal and diagnosis of the residual communicative abilities
- An analysis of spontaneous language/ conversational language
Differential diagnosis
- Aetiology: presence of aphasia or another acquired language disorder
- Type and severity of aphasia
- Concomitant disorders
Neuropsychological / Psycholinguistic appraisal, diagnosis and intervention
- Naming and word finding
- Auditory comprehension of words
- Reading and writing of words
- Sentence comprehension
- Sentence production
Therapy oriented appraisal and diagnosis of aphasia
- Candidacy for therapy
- Prognostic variables
- Psycho-social status
- Motivation of patient (significant others) for therapy
- Response to specific therapy methods and techniques
- The ability to learn

The aim of this topic is to:

Provide an understanding of brain functioning, specifically in relation to language
Provide an understanding of neuro/psycholinguistic models of language processing
Provide students with the knowledge and principles of aphasiology, which are essential for the assessment, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of aphasia
Familiarise students with the procedures of diagnosis and treatment within a psycholinguistic framework
Provide an understanding of the psychological, social, and functional aspects of aphasia.

On completion of the topic, students will be able to:

Hypothesise how different strokes (location, cause) will affect the language and non-language functions of an individual (drawing on your knowledge of neuroanatomy/ neurophysiology)
Explain the various approaches to assessment, diagnosis and intervention in aphasiology (drawing on your knowledge of neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, psycholinguistics and the ICF model) and justify when it is appropriate to use each approach
Formulate appropriate diagnostic statements and prognosis for rehabilitation, based on given assessment results and client factors
Appraise the principles of learning and rehabilitation in the context of a neurological damage and client centred care
Critically examine the main treatment approaches to aphasia and service delivery modes and justify when it is appropriate to implement each.

Key dates and timetable

Timetable details for 2019 are no longer published.

This information is from current details held on the Student Information System. Please report any errors or omissions to the relevant College Office.