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Individuals with severe speech and language impairment as a result of chronic severe Broca's aphasia may rely on non‐speech communication aids to augment or replace speech. These aids include speech‐generating devices and graphic symbol software programs that produce synthetic speech upon activation. Previous research has indicated that individuals with chronic severe Broca's aphasia are able to identify, manipulate, and combine graphic symbols to produce simple phrases and sentences. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the ability of three individuals with chronic severe Broca's aphasia to produce graphic symbol sentences of varying levels of complexity using a speech generating device. A single‐subject multiple‐baseline design across behaviours replicated across three participants was used to assess the effect of AAC intervention on the production of sentences using graphic symbols. Findings indicated that individuals with chronic severe Broca's aphasia were able to combine graphic symbols to produce sentences of varying levels of complexity. The results of this study suggest that technologically‐based AAC intervention approaches can be effective in facilitating communication for individuals with chronic severe Broca's aphasia. The overall findings are discussed in terms of clinical and public policy implications.

A one-hour intergenerational event held at an infant school in Norfolk, England, aimed to increase the citizenship experience of young children and their awareness of what it means to live with stroke, and to address social isolation or self-confidence in communicating among stroke survivors with aphasia. It was also intended to gauge whether this activity might provide a basis for future research. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Four community-dwelling stroke survivors with aphasia were recruited. In total, 12 pupils aged six and seven were selected by their Year 2 teacher and head-teacher. At the event, participants sat in groups of one adult and three pupils and engaged in writing, hand-tracing and talking about pictures. The author circulated among the groups to facilitate engagement.

All participants enjoyed interacting together in the activities. The pupils gained insights into the stroke survivors’ lived experience and wanted them to return to “see us again soon”; the adults valued being in the “real world” and practising their conversation in activities different from their usual routines. Feedback indicated the value of the engagement and that participants welcomed similar intergenerational opportunities. The author will develop a research application exploring enablers, barriers and benefits of this type of engagement.

The event gave a rare opportunity for stroke survivors with aphasia to participate in intergenerational activities and for children to engage with vulnerable older adults. It demonstrated the value of interactions in which learning and insights are obtained on both sides. It also provided evidence that pursuing research in this field is feasible.

President Nixon's economic advisers have been so wrong so often, critics are now questioning whether they suffer from aphasia — “the partial or total loss of the ability to articulate ideas in any form.” Keith Mayes reports.

The purpose of this paper is to gain consensus regarding the clinical priorities and tasks required in supporting communication needs in those living with semantic dementia and their families, by specialist speech and language therapists (SLTs), working in clinical practice within dementia care settings in the UK.

A nominal group technique was used, followed by further exploration and refinement of issues using a modified Delphi technique with a group of six SLTs who specialised in dementia care and who had experience of working with individuals with semantic dementia and their families.

The findings in the study demonstrate a broader scope of practice than is evident within the research literature with this client group. Therapists identified a range of psychosocial issues for both the person with semantic dementia and their family, in particular finding ways to support activity and participation in conversation and explore barriers and facilitators within the communication environment.

This represents the first study to explore everyday practice in this rarer dementia and the information gathered here will be of use to a variety of health and social care professions interested in supporting those with semantic dementia and their families.

The conclusion of this volume opens with an acknowledgement of the impact of Bruce Willis upon action film, with news of his retirement from acting in March 2022 sending shockwaves throughout the film industry, and into the hearts of fans. The retirement of Willis brings the key themes of this volume, particularly in regard to aging action heroes, and strategies employed to avoid professional redundancy, into focus. This collection also highlights the transformation of the genre, and future directions for the study of gender and action film, particularly the increasing presence of female action heroes, and potential for greater LGBTIQ+ participation in action film.

For many years it has been speculated that some learning and attention problems in children are related to underlying problems in neurological functioning. In fact, the IDEA (1997) definition of learning disabilities utilizes terminology that specifically includes neurological processes and conditions: Specific learning disabilities means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations. The term includes such conditions as perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. The term does not include children who have learning problems which are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor handicaps, of mental retardation, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.This chapter begins with a review of the role of neuroimaging in advancing an understanding of the basis and nature of learning and attention problems. The ever-increasing sophistication of neurodiagnostic technology has made it possible to obtain more precise information about neuroanatomical and neurophysiological bases of behavior, including learning and attention. Advances in technology have greatly increased the ability to study the functioning of the brain during the performance of relatively complex mental activities. With this advanced technology it is becoming increasingly possible to visualize normal and abnormal brain functioning, including important components of basic academic skills. The chapter includes a discussion of the recent evidence about the neurological basis of learning and attention problems.