Communication, defined as the expression of the most basic to complex thoughts and ideas, is a vital component to human interactions. When a message is conveyed from one communication partner to another, it is typically delivered via verbal and non-verbal methods. When an individual experiences difficulty effectively or consistently expressing and or receiving communicative thoughts and ideas secondary to a left-sided hemorrhagic or non-hemorrhagic stroke, communicative breakdowns in expressive and receptive language occurs and is referred to as aphasia. Depending upon the severity of the language impairment, individuals with aphasia often rely on multimodal methods of communication, such as the use of hand gestures in conjunction with verbalization to express thoughts and ideas to compensate for language impairments. Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT) along with modified versions of the technique, (Modified Melodic
Intonation Therapy-MMIT) are two commonly used interventions in the treatment of individuals with non-fluent aphasia (NFA). Given the number of individuals who sustain a stroke resulting in aphasia, there is a growing need to maximize communicative potential with the use of multimodality interventions. This investigation will explore the findings of three participants with chronic NFA’s to improve verbal communication skills with alternating modified approaches to the traditional MIT model.
Keywords: chronic stroke, non-fluent aphasia, pantomime gestures, modified melodic intonation therapy
