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Using the phone when you have aphasia
By Michael P Dean, on 29 July 2015
The Clinic’s Thursday group has developed a leaflet with advice on using the telephone for people with aphasia. It includes strategies that the group members find useful. You can download a copy by clicking on the link below:
Brilliant Red, by Chris
By Michael P Dean, on 28 July 2015
Chris attends a group in his local area for people who have had a stroke. At their meetings he leads an activity, presenting a topic or idea for further discussion. He has been working in the UCL Communication Clinic on his plans, writing poems based on the sights, sounds and tastes of his neighbourhood. Chris has aphasia and has been learning to use ‘Dragon Naturally Speaking’ speech recognition software to produce and edit his work.
Brilliant red
looking through the window
July
graceful branches
perfect leaves
four stories high
growth and time
daffodil yellow glanced
dancing through the leaves
on the second floor geraniums bright red
the smooth breeze
terracotta pots glimpsed occasionally
in the movement of the wind
The small red van
Royal mail written in yellow
the driver
stepping out
into the sunlight
passing the green leaves
a large van painted blue passes
in dull colour the patio
brilliant red
on the pavement
warm bright light
reflected from the bright sunshine
a solitary Walker
the postman
Brilliant red
with white envelopes
clonk clonk
through the letter box.
Aphasia written by Alan
By Michael P Dean, on 22 June 2015
This was written using the Dragon software
At 11 o’clock I had a droop in my face I couldn’t talk. I went to the hospital by ambulance, and a consultant gave me a aspirin and sent me home. A two o’clock I had stroke 24 hours later I woke up on stroke ward.
I couldn’t speak the right side of my body was numb. I could only say yellow and yes. I spent the next three weeks on the stroke ward. Then I went down to the rehab ward for four months and one week. I had speech classes and physiotherapy three times a week. I was in the wheelchair for one month. I got out of the wheelchair because I was so determined. Now five months later I had physio and speech classes once a week. And now 6 weeks later it stopped and I felt alone. Now I walk with a stick and am talking a lot better. 50% of the talking is all right but communicating is frustrating. Now I have speech classes once a week on Monday’s. Tuesday I have the gym. Saturday I have yoga classes.
Seeking research participants: syntactic attention training and non-invasive brain stimulation
By Michael P Dean, on 14 April 2015
Speech and language therapist Emma Dodd, together with Professor Rosemary Varley and Dr Amir-Homayoun Javadi, is piloting an exciting new syntactic attention training in patients with post stroke comprehension difficulties, combined with non-invasive electrical brain stimulation (tDCS).
If you’re aware of any people with aphasia who may benefit, please do get in touch. These could be people who have not made progress with other impairment-based therapies, they may be discharged but hoping for further intervention, or on a waiting list.
The key criteria for taking part are:
– chronic (>3 months post stroke) moderate-to-severe comprehension difficulties (participants may have associated expressive language difficulties)
– not receiving other impairment-based speech and language therapy at the time of baseline measures, the two week intensive therapy block and follow up measures (participants may continue to attend social communication groups during the study)
– no history of seizures
– no metal implants in the head, or cardiac pacemakers
Emma will be glad to speak with anyone who has queries and can provide more detailed information. Her email address is emma.dodd.14@ucl.ac.uk
Visit from Auburn University speech and language therapists
By Michael P Dean, on 27 March 2015
On 23rd March, a group of students and staff from the Department of Communication Disorders at Auburn University, Alabama, visited Chandler House. They attended a number of talks, including one about the work of the UCL Communication Clinic. They heard from one of the service users about the clinic’s role in his rehabilitation and the various projects that the group he attends has completed. The visitors were particularly interested as they have their own clinical service embedded in the university department:
http://www.cla.auburn.edu/speechandhearingclinic/about-us/
Film show
By Michael P Dean, on 27 March 2015
“The Possibilities are Endless” is a film about the singer and musician Edwyn Collins, and his life following two successive strokes in 2005. Edwyn has aphasia. The film was screened in Chandler House by the Communication Clinic, with assistance from members of the university’s Giving Voice Society, and was attended by service users, family members, staff and students.
Referral form
By Michael P Dean, on 11 February 2015
Clicking on the link below should open a copy of our current referral form:
As well as taking referrals for our ‘regular’ service in the clinic, we are asking whether people would like to join a research volunteer register. This can be in addition to, and is not instead of, the regular service, though some people may be interested in only one or the other. Being on the research register will allow people to take part in a range of projects, including innovative therapy projects.
UCL Communication Clinic
By Michael P Dean, on 29 January 2015
Welcome to the news pages for the UCL Communication Clinic.
The aim of these pages is to provide up-to-date information about the clinic’s activities. We hope to have contributions from the people who attend the clinic, students and staff, as well as other items of interest.
Our first news story is to congratulate James McGoldrick, whose project “Assessing the text-level reading skills of adults with aphasia” won last year’s British Aphasiology Society student project prize. James worked with participants in the clinic, and was supervised by Carolyn Bruce.