Aphasia CEU Courses for SLPs

Depression and other mental health challenges are prevalent in individuals with aphasia. Recent research on the mental health status of individuals with aphasia, along with mental health and well-being screening options and basic counseling approaches that can be used by SLPs, are discussed in this 20Q.

This course discusses the philosophy behind meeting meaningful needs in therapy, along with tools and counseling techniques that help with understanding a client’s needs. Specific techniques such as ethnographic counseling, motivational interviewing, and tools for verbally impaired clients are described, and examples within therapy interactions are provided.

This course discusses the evidence that weakened phonological skills are at the root of persistent written and spoken language impairments in most patients with aphasia. Case examples are shared that describe underlying cognitive processes and written language profiles associated with left perisylvian lesions, and demonstrate the improvements in communication following treatment sequences that focus on phonology.

This course provides an overview of the psychosocial impact of aphasia, with particular attention to depression and anxiety as well as barriers to accessing mental health services. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration between speech-language pathologists and mental health providers, and of supports such as stepped psychological care, peer befriending, support groups, and communication partner training, is also discussed.

The latest science shows that three of the most powerful ways to change the brain include social interaction, activity, and mental or cognitive challenges. This course provides updates on neuroplasticity across the lifespan, including information on mirror neurons, and offers concrete suggestions for clinicians who work with adults with neurologic communication disorders.

This course focuses on best practice in the assessment and treatment of bilingual aphasia by speech-language pathologists. Recommended practices are contrasted against common mistakes made by clinicians working with bilingual patients with aphasia. Implementation of best practices are modeled through case studies.

The sudden loss of intimacy post-stroke can have a dramatic change on satisfaction in a relationship, and this added cost to caregiving is often not addressed in rehabilitation. This course discusses the evidence related to changes in intimacy when an individual has aphasia, outcomes from a community program targeting intimate reconnection, and ways speech-language pathologists can support the reclaiming of these important relationships.

This Research Watch Report focuses on some of the most current research in telepractice assessment and intervention with people with aphasia (PWA). Three research articles are summarized, including a discussion of the rationale, methodology and results of each, and potential clinical applications of the evidence are described.

This is Part 2 of a two-part series. In this course, practical guidelines will be reviewed related to incorporating animal-assisted therapy into clinical practice. This overview will include information regarding training requirements for animal-handler teams, benefits/challenges of the SLP acting as a handler, and clinical decision-making, including goal-setting, when incorporating animals into speech-language pathology clinical care.

This is Part 1 of a two-part series. This course will review the evidence base for animal-assisted therapy (AAT), including discussion of areas where further research is needed, and will describe uses of AAT in speech-language treatment for cognitive and communication impairments including autism, dementia, traumatic brain injury, and aphasia.