Written Language Production in Aphasia: Agraphia Treatment
Presented by Brett McCardel
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This course provides a comprehensive overview of evidence-based treatments for agraphia in individuals with aphasia, addressing written language difficulties across single-word, sentence, and discourse levels. Agraphia, an acquired impairment of written language, can significantly impact quality of life, limiting functional communication and social participation. Through this course, clinicians will gain practical strategies for targeting central and peripheral agraphia subtypes using tailored interventions, assistive technology, and client-centered approaches. Emphasis is placed on integrating the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia, ensuring treatment is not only effective but also meaningful to each client’s goals and context. This course is designed for speech-language pathologists working in outpatient, inpatient, or community-based rehabilitation settings who aim to enhance their understanding of agraphia and improve written communication outcomes for people with aphasia.
Learning Objectives
- Examine what agraphia is and how acquired written language impairments can impact quality of life for people with aphasia
- Implement a variety of agraphia treatment approaches at the single-word level, sentence level, and paragraph/discourse level
- Integrate agraphia assessment approaches utilizing a Life Participation Approach to Aphasia framework
Meet your instructor
Brett McCardel
Brett McCardel is the owner and founder of Archways—Aphasia Rehabilitation Services, a private practice that specializes in providing speech and language services to people with aphasia. He has worked with people with aphasia across the continuum of care and across a variety of service-delivery models (including telehealth…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Agraphia Treatment at the Single-Word Level
This chapter introduces targeted, evidence-based strategies for improving spelling and word production in individuals with central and peripheral agraphia, including Beeson’s three-step treatment sequence and other subtype-specific interventions.
2. Agraphia Treatment at the Sentence Level
Chapter 2 explores techniques for enhancing written sentence construction by addressing verb use, syntax, thematic role assignment, and grammar through both writing-specific treatments and adapted spoken language treatments.
3. Agraphia Treatment at the Paragraph/Discourse Level
This chapter focuses on improving the macrostructure, coherence, and functional relevance of written discourse through structured interventions, technology integration, and real-life communication tasks, such as texting.
4. Agraphia Treatment Utilizing the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia
The final chapter of this course emphasizes a holistic, client-centered framework that integrates impairment-based and compensatory methods with personal goals, environmental supports, and psychosocial well-being to make writing treatment meaningful.
