PAIL-RcA

Promoting AAC-Induced Language-Recovery in Chronic Aphasia (PAIL-RcA)©

Implementing AAC as a Dual-Purpose Tool for People with Aphasia

Mission of the Project

To disseminate materials that enhance communication and promote language recovery in post-stroke aphasia.

How does PAIL-RcA Work?

To implement AAC as a dual-purpose tool, requires a shift in how AAC is employed. Specifically, AAC implementation must avoid instruction that includes a “learned non-use” approach. This was first discussed in terms of language recovery by Drs. Pulvermuller & Berthier (2008; p. 569). When applied to AAC intervention, our feasibility data (Dietz et al., 2018) suggests that we can actively promote language recovery through the coupling of the canonical language and visual processing neural networks through self-cueing (rather than AAC being used as a replacement for spoken language).

However, to achieve this goal, intervention is quite different than the typical approach of just providing AAC and asking the PWA to point to the pictures or words and/or having the device speak for them.

If we apply Luria’s theory of intersystemic reorganization (1972), the relatively intact visual and motor modalities are exploited to strengthen the impaired spoken language modality via the novel performance act of AAC. PAIL-RcA© is designed to teach PWA how to use AAC as a dual-purpose tool via self-cueing during the inevitable anomic events to support the PWA in avoiding learned non-use of spoken language. This is how we emphasize the augmentative, rather than the alternative aspects of AAC.

PAIL-RcA© Materials

All materials below are freely available.

Detailed information regarding the background, development and implementation of PAIL-RcA© can be found by reading our open-access publication tutorial (NOTE: There is a 6 month embargo from date of publication).

If you are an American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) member, you can gain access by logging in!

Promoting AAC-Induced Language-Recovery in Chronic Aphasia (PAIL-RcA) © 2012-2024 by Aimee Dietz is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC). We encourage the adaptation/translation of the PAIL-RcA© materials provided here. This is permissible under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.

We invite you to share your translation or adaptation with us so that this site may serve as a repository to increase access for the broader community.

Please click on "Adaptations" under the three bars in the top left corner and available options will appear.

Treatment Step Prompt Guides

Step 1 AAC Orientation: Competence & Learning Self-Cueing

Download Here

Step 2 Demonstration & Practice: Segmented Story Elements

Download Here

Step 3 Guided Practice: Retelling Entire Story

Download Here

Step 4 Self-Analysis

Download Here

Data Collection Sheets

Cueing Hierarchy

Cue Cards

PAIL RcA Cue Cards.pptx

Family Education Handout

Family Education_PAIL-RcA.docx

Tele-AAC Adaptations & Tips

Funding Acknowledgments

This project was developed with support from National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Grant R15 DC017280-01: A Preliminary Study of the Neurobiology of AAC-Induced Language Recovery in Post-Stroke Aphasia (PI: Aimee Dietz), an Institutional Training Award (KL2) from the University of Cincinnati (UC) and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center for Clinical & Translational Science & Training (CCTST) via the National Center for Research Resources and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (PI: Aimee Dietz), National Institutes of Health, Grants [8KL2 TR000078-05; 8UL1 TR000077-05] (PI: Aimee Dietz). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH, UC, CCHMC, or the CCTST; KL2 [TR000078-05]; Junior T1 [UL1 TR000077-05].

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