RIC Offers Intensive Aphasia Therapy Program

Programs Begin July 8 and October 14, 2009

For more information on RIC's Intensive Aphasia Therapy Program,

call 312-238-6163 or start the application process today.

The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) is now offering a clinical outpatient program for individuals with aphasia, a disorder that results from damage to portions of the brain responsible for language. The RIC's Intensive Aphasia Therapy Program is a month-long, intensive communication program that is designed to improve communications skills and ultimately help individuals attain a greater quality of life.

It is reported that more than 1 million people are living with aphasia in the United States of America. RIC's program is designed to help individuals with aphasia improve their communication skills and ability to reconnect to those around them. If a stroke or a brain injury has resulted in aphasia for you or a loved one, you know that it is hard to interact with those around you. RIC's Intensive Aphasia Therapy Program can help you enhance your communication skills, improve your social interactions and regain a greater level of confidence.

The program is based on recent studies that show that individuals with aphasia greatly benefit from treatment provided intensively over a short period of time.

What is included in RIC's Aphasia Treatment Program?

RIC's new program is a month long, and participants receive up to 30 hours of therapy per week, increasing the possibility of improved communication.

• Two hours of individual speech and language therapy
• One hour of computer-based treatment using one-of-a-kind language programs developed at the RIC's Center for Aphasia Research
• Two hours of group therapy that target reading, writing and conversation skills
• One hour of specialized treatments such as PACE, CILT, or augmentative communication
• Caregiver workshops and support exercises

The therapy you will receive in the RIC's Intensive Aphasia Therapy Program is based on the latest, cutting-edge aphasia research being conducted firsthand by RIC's own highly-trained specialists at the RIC's Center for Aphasia Research. When pioneering aphasia treatments are being developed just down the hall, you not only receive that treatment faster but straight from the hands of those who created and tested it. 

Some of the advanced treatments you will only find here include specialized computer-based language programs called Aphasiascripts™ and  Oral Reading for Language in Aphasia (ORLA™) , which were developed by RIC’s Center for Aphasia Research. These programs use state of the art technology to simulate therapy with a clinician and allow you to practice speaking, listening and reading for several hours each day. The program also utilizes evidence-based, intensive communication treatments such as Constraint Induced Language Treatment (CILT), which focuses on verbal expressive language insuring participants exercise their ability to speak or Promoting Aphasia Communicative Effectiveness (PACE), which encourages use of multiple channels of communication. 

Download a program brochure (PDF) .

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