Supported Conversation for Adults With Aphasia (SCA™) is a communication method that uses a set of techniques to encourage conversation when working with someone with aphasia through:
– Spoken and written keywords
– Body language and gestures
– Hand drawings
– Detailed pictographs
SCA™ is designed to help people who “know more than they can say” express their opinions and feelings in a way that makes them feel valued and heard. By using the SCA™ method, conversation partners (such as family members, doctors, nurses, or friends) can help break down the communication barriers and help people with aphasia re-join life’s conversations.
iii. Expanded Explanation here
If you are a health care professional, for further information about training, please visit the Training section of our website to learn more.
If you are a family member, please contact the social workers or Speech-Language Pathologists at the Aphasia Institute – we can answer general inquiries or you could get a consult. Please see our “Tips for Communicating with a Person with Aphasia” for more.
A Speech-Language Pathologist who has recently provided therapy for the individual being referred is in the best position to make a complete referral. When making a referral for someone with PPA, a neurologist or an SLP is in the best position to make a complete referral.
However, anyone can initiate the referral process by contacting our social workers. We require a recent speech pathology report to accompany this referral. Access a printable version our referral form. Click here for a printable version of our PPA referral form.
We ask that attempts be made to have a full assessment conducted by a Speech-Language Pathologist prior to admitting clients to our program.
The report helps our staff to determine the severity and kind of aphasia a person has. In addition, staff at the Aphasia Institute rely on these reports as a baseline measure when a client begins the program.
To obtain a speech pathology report, contact the hospital where the person with aphasia was treated following the stroke or injury causing aphasia to determine whether Speech-Language Pathology assessments are possible, or to receive a copy of an old assessment.
If you have not had an assessment done before, talk to your doctor, or contact:
- The College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO)
- The Ontario Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (OSLA)
- The Local Health Integration Network
In the event that it is not possible to arrange for an assessment, please contact our Manager of Client Services.
These techniques are described fully in our professional training courses. For an overview of these techniques, please refer to the article:
For family members of people living with aphasia, please refer to our SCA Pamphlet for Family.