AAC Intervention for Stroke Survivors - An Anomic Aphasic Case Study

Aphasia is an impairment of language that is a consequence of a cerebral insult or damage affecting the speech production and/or comprehension, as well as the ability to read or write. Etiology of Aphasia is multifactorial, most commonly in the form of a stroke (Cerebrovascular Accident), especially in older individuals. The type of aphasia is determined based on multiple factors such as the site of lesion, signs and symptoms and also through patient’s clinical presentation. Rehabilitation for stroke survivors plays a major role in communication effectiveness. Computerized Intervention method provides a prognostic factor in the treatment for adults with aphasia. AAC devices (high-tech) are used to enhance communicative effectiveness of aphasic individuals who are less likely to use strategies/techniques that the caregiver can use to foster interactions between themselves and the aphasic individual outside the treatment setting. Other factors that determine the success of the intervention are the intensiveness and the duration of intervention. This study focuses on one such intervention of an adult Anomic Aphasia patient using a high tech AAC computerized application known as Avaz. The results showed that the client was able to perform much better in terms of the word retrieving abilities and is now able to communicate well. Key words: Augmentative and Alternative Communications; Anomic Aphasia; Language intervention; Avaz; High tech.

The Motivation of Eighth Grade Students When They Learn the Parallelogram Subject in a Computerized Environment

The goal of the current study is to examine the impact of the computerized technological environment on the motivation of eighth graders while learning the subject of parallelogram, and whether there are differences in the level of motivation of students who studied parallelogram in a computerized environment and those who studied the same subject in a traditional school environment. The use of the semi-experimental descriptive analytical curriculum, which consisted of a sample of (30) eighth grade students who were selected in a deliberate manner was implemented. The main study tool is a set of pretests and posttests, along with a computerized intervention unit that is meant to enhance students’ motivation. The results of the study clearly indicate that the involvement of the computerized environment contributed to raising the students’ level of mastery of parallelogram as a subject in eighth graders by raising internal motivation. In light of the findings of the study, the researcher recommends adopting the results of the research, handling the computerized environment as an integral part of the educational system, and qualifying the teacher to be able to actively work within a computerized environment.

Computerized Intervention in Primary Care for Women Veterans with Sexual Assault Histories and Psychosocial Health Risks: a Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Sexual assault is a public health concern for women and is associated with subsequent psychosocial health risks of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), hazardous drinking, and intimate partner violence (IPV). Sexual assault is associated with social stigma and other barriers shown to inhibit one from seeking mental health care. Digital health technologies may overcome these barriers. Objective To test the impact of a brief computerized intervention delivered in primary care to reduce health risks and increase mental health treatment utilization among women with histories of sexual assault and current health risks. Design, Setting, and Participants The Safe and Healthy Experiences (SHE) program was tested in a randomized controlled trial with N = 153 women veterans at a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) medical center, and they completed assessments at baseline, 2 months, and 4 months. Intervention SHE is a brief motivational interviewing and psychoeducation-based computerized intervention. SHE was compared to a screen and referral-only control condition. Main Measures Health risks were measured via validated self-report instruments. Treatment initiation and utilization were measured via self-report and chart review. Results SHE did not impact women’s number of health risks (all p’s > .05). However, women randomized to SHE showed significantly greater increases in treatment use compared to women in the control group, as measured by chart review (χ2 (1, n = 153) = 4.38, p = .036, rs = .16), and self-report (χ2 (1, n = 130) = 5.89, p = .015, rs = .21). SHE was found to be an acceptable intervention. Conclusions SHE was effective in improving mental health treatment initiation and utilization compared to a control group. Computer-based interventions to address sexual trauma and its consequences are acceptable, are highly scalable, and can add value to primary care with little cost or increase in provider time. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT02957747.

An Open Trial to Test Participant Satisfaction With and Feasibility of a Computerized Intervention for Women Veterans With Sexual Trauma Histories Seeking Primary Care Treatment

Sexual trauma is prevalent among women veterans and associated with health risks including hazardous drinking, intimate partner violence (IPV), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Safe and Healthy Experiences (SHE) is a computerized intervention to reduce these health risks. SHE was pilot tested in an open trial ( N = 20) with women veterans with a history of sexual trauma and associated health risks. Women reported high satisfaction with the intervention and computerized delivery and they evidenced reductions in hazardous drinking, IPV, and PTSD at 4 months. SHE appears to be satisfactory, feasible, and potentially beneficial to women veterans.