With PPA, language is the early sign and will be impacted more severely, so try to assess memory and judgment separately from language as best you can. With dementia, memory loss and other cognitive programs are one of the first signs. Later stages of PPA may present similarly to dementia, though the distinction is important. Mid to Late Stages of Primary Progressive Aphasia Focus on maximizing function and planning for the future. You will want to evaluate similar to a post-stroke aphasia, though treatment will be very different.
The person’s intellect and memory will be relatively normal, but their comprehension or expressive communication will be impacted. Memory and reasoning are usually not affected in the early stages. The early stages of PPA often present similarly to post-stroke aphasia.
Use the client’s personal priorities when setting measurable goals, determining treatment tasks, and making a plan for the future.Įarly Stages of Primary Progressive Aphasia
Since your treatment focus will be on increasing your client’s level of function, you’ll need to focus on preserving strengths and compensating for weaknesses. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Functional Assessment of Communication Skills for Adults ( ASHA FACS).Quality of Communication Life Scale ( ASHA QCL).Assessment for Living with Aphasia ( ALA).Communication Activities of Daily Living – 3rd edition ( CADL-3).Assessments that focus more on function include: As language skills may not improve during treatment, improving function is where you will see the most progress and benefit from your treatment. When choosing standardized tests to help you assess and measure progress for a client with PPA, it’s best to prioritize their functional needs to enhance their quality of life. The Cognitive-Linguistic Quick Test + ( CLQT+) is adapted for people with aphasia and will help assess cognition along with language. Western Aphasia Battery, Aphasia Diagnostic Profiles, Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination) to get a comprehensive picture of their aphasia. Complete your favorite aphasia assessment (e.g. Each of the three subtypes of PPA has a different presentation, so it’s important to know what you’re dealing with. Understand that every person progresses differently. Listen to what’s happening, what works, and what the challenges are in daily life What are their questions, concerns, and frustrations?.Meet the client where they are, and learn about the individual to get a picture of their strengths and weaknesses for both language and non-linguistic skills. Tips for Treating Primary Progressive AphasiaĪs with any new client or condition, assessment is the first step in the therapeutic process. Clients with PPA have a degenerative disease that gets worse as time goes on. When helping clients with aphasia after a stroke, you expect to see improvements as they recover. With PPA, difficulty with language is the first sign, while memory and reasoning are usually not affected in the early stages. With Alzheimer’s dementia, memory loss is one of the first signs. PPA is different from the more typical presentation of dementia. Learn more about primary progressive aphasia and the various types of PPA. Although similar in many ways to dementia or aphasia following a stroke, PPA is a unique progressive condition requiring its own approach to assessment and treatment. You may feel comfortable treating clients with dementia as well as those with aphasia after a stroke, but what about clients with primary progressive aphasia? Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a relatively rare, and often under-diagnosed, neurological disorder that primarily affects language and the person’s ability to communicate. Treating Clients with Primary Progressive Aphasia: 7 Tips for the Speech-Language Pathologist
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