Reading and Writing with Aphasia in the 21st Century: Technological Applications of Supported Reading Comprehension and Written Expression

Abstract

Purpose: People with aphasia struggle to keep up with today’s text-based communication, because of their reduced ability to comprehend and compose written messages. Therefore, the communication gap between people with aphasia and the communities around them continues to grow. The purpose of this article is to highlight the literature regarding supported reading comprehension and written expression techniques for people with aphasia and to discuss the role of these interventions in the context of Web-based communication and information sharing. Methods: This article presents an overview of compensatory strategies that support reading comprehension such as aphasia-friendly text principles, pairing text with highly contextualized pictures, the notion of reading ramps, and written expression supports including word prediction, speech-to-text, and voice banking. Additionally, ideas for integrating these strategies into Web-based communication and information-sharing applications are reviewed. Conclusion: Speech-language pathologists must consider available Web-based communication strategies during the aphasia rehabilitation process. In particular, interventions designed to support the reading comprehension and written expression of people with aphasia should be adapted to meet the increasing trend to utilize Web-based technology to maintain or redefine social roles following a stroke.