Many people with aphasia have a collection of paper based strategies that they use to augment their communication. A group of speech-language pathologists in Vancouver, BC, who work exclusively with people with aphasia and acquired brain injury, gathered these supports together into a page set format on a tablet. Options in the page set include pictures, symbols and words in grid and visual scene formats. Information that is typically included in communication books, such as pain and emotion scales, maps, templates for personal information, life stories, and schedules, are also incorporated into the page set. Pages are also included that facilitate repair of communication breakdowns and self-advocacy. The page set can easily be adapted for use by people with different types of aphasia and a range of cognitive levels and degrees of severity.
The vocabulary page set Communication Journey: Aphasia was developed specifically for people with aphasia, as part of a multi-modal communication system based on supported conversation techniques. The person with aphasia uses residual speech, gestures, drawing, and partner-dependent communication strategies in conjunction with the page set. All options must be considered individually for each client.