Visual Action Therapy for Global Aphasia

Eight globally aphasic patients who had not responded to traditional treatment received Visual Action Therapy (VAT), a nonvocal approach which ultimately trains patients to produce symbolic gestures for visually absent stimuli. Statistical analyses of pre and post VAT scores earned on the Porch Index of Communicative Ability (PICA) showed highly significant improvement on those subtests which measure pantomimic and auditory comprehension skills. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.