Sourcebook for Adults with Profound Communication Difficulties

This first volume in the series Sourcebooks for Neurodisability is for use with clients who have limited motor control, with a reliance on a yes/no response and/or eye pointing. Its emphasis is on informing carers and giving them the support to work independently with their dependant. Overall, this practical book demonstrates that there is still a lot of work and assessment that can be done to support this type of caseload. It contains:


Oromotor Exercises for face, lip, tongue, jaw and palate, photocopiable exercises in large format with pictures to aid clients to work independently. The lip and tongue exercises are divided into range, rate and strength, there is also a desensitisation programme for the face and oral area.
Articulation Sheets for each sound in initial, medial and final positions as appropriate.
Language Assessments included are a sensory stimulation programme, a yes/no screen and an initial language screen. The assessments are set up whereby clients require only a reliable yes/no response to answer syntactically complex questions.
AAC a screening form to assess clients who are able to eye-point and assess the potential of this skill to use an AAC device.
Handouts, Questionnaires & Breathing including sheets for carers to explain the type of communication difficulty their dependent is experiencing.

Special features include:


Totally photocopiable for use by practitioners at any level of experience.
Exercise sheets printed in large type for the visually impaired client
Handouts enable independent working by clients
For use in rehabilitation, acute and domicillary settings

Readership
Speech & language therapists at all levels working with profound, acquired neurologically impaired adults.

About the author
Fiona Sugden-Best is a speech & language therapist, qualifying at City University in 1988. She has worked at the Royal Hospital for Neurodisability where she worked with a progressive neurological client group, as well as on rehabilitation wards; as the Senior Speech & Language Therapist for acute neurosciences at the Royal London NHS Trust; and currently works for the King George Hospital (Redbridge Health Care). She has also been involved in educating other professionals as well as speech & language therapy students.