The Adult Language Disorders unit consists of a team, dedicated towards identifying and managing individuals who suffer stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and also individuals with neurodegenerative conditions including dementia, mild cognitive impairment, primary progressive aphasia among others which manifests various language and cognition related difficulties.
The unit comprises standardized assessment tools that can aid the evaluation of adult language disorders and cognitive skills. The team caters specialized therapeutic techniques including Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA), Melodic Intonation therapy (MIT), Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNest), Response Elaboration Training (RET), Phonological component Analysis (PCA) and so on.We also focus our treatments in enhancing the cognitive skills including working memory, semantic memory, attention, executive functions, inhibitory control, and visup-spatial skills. The team is also involved in discourse analysis which is necessary to understand certain linguistic features that may not be picked up on standardized assessments.
The team engages in public/community awareness programs that are specifically related to aphasia due to stroke or TBI, dementia, and mild cognitive impairment, group therapy sessions and caregiver support programs. Group therapy sessions include the union of various types of aphasias who come together and communicate with each other using spoken language, gestures and through writing. We have also conducted quick interviews amongst the general public to derive an understanding of their knowledge on aphasia.
Apart from the clinical involvement, the members within this unit systematically investigates the possibility of novel techniques and methods through research in order to train the individuals with language and cognitive difficulties, thereby emphasizing on the implementation of evidence based practices.
The unit has ensured and extended its support even during the covid-19 pandemic scenario by providing telerehabilitation.We have developed computerized therapy stimuli to engage the clients during the telerehabilitation.