What is Aphasia Software?

Aphasia software is specially designed speech pathology software aimed to help those with aphasia communicate effectively. The brain disorder damages a person's capacity to speak and understand others; it does not affect intelligence levels. Aphasia therapy software helps those afflicted with the condition in regaining their ability to speak and comprehend what others are saying.

Traumatic brain injury, stroke, brain tumor, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease are the most common causes of aphasia. There is no quintessential treatment modality for working with aphasia patients. A common aphasia treatment is melodic intonation therapy, which employs the use of music and speech to help patients regain vocal capacities. The emergence of aphasia software provides a much-needed treatment alternative and allows patients to work at their own pace, from the comfort of their own homes.

Aphasia software can work in a variety of ways to help a patient relearn spoken language, better understand what others are saying, and more thoroughly comprehend the written word. There are different types of aphasia software on the market, but a typical format may entail the patient being shown a photograph, a short movie, or an audio story or question. The patient is then encouraged to answer a question about the item that was just presented. He or she may type the answer, speak the answer aloud, or choose an answer from a multiple choice menu on the computer screen. The software might then process the patient's response and give appropriate advice; he or she is typically able to retry questions that presented trouble.

Certain aphasia software programs go into great detail to help patients recover their speech, listening, and reading skills. Some programs cover topics like shaping sentences, reading sentences out loud, relearning synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms, and understanding numbers. The majority of aphasia software options on the market were designed by professionals and experts in the field.

There may even be added benefits to utilizing aphasia software beyond the regaining of speech and listening capabilities. Patients' cognitive skills, short-term memory, and attention span could also be significantly enhanced. Other possible benefits include improved grammar and vocabulary, more efficient word recall, and, perhaps most importantly, a happier patient who is better equipped to communicate with the world.

Aphasia software can be purchased on CD-ROM or downloaded from the Internet. It is sold in an assortment of packages and price ranges. Aphasia software is available for both Windows and MAC users.