If the client has difficulty with:
Understanding complex words and sentences |
The therapist can:
-
Avoid taking comprehension for granted
-
Simplify vocabulary
-
Define words and verify that the client has
understood them
-
Decrease complexity and length of sentences
-
Decrease complexity and number of ideas discussed
at one time
-
Write out a list of important points
-
Review and highlight key ideas
-
Use visual mapping (concept maps), i.e.,
drawing charts and diagrams
-
Illustrate points with sketches, visual images,
or visual analogies
|
The rate at which language is understood |
-
Slow speech down to the client's pace
-
Repeat frequently
|
Word finding problems |
-
Ask clients if they want help locating the right word
-
Provide word choices
-
Provide the first sound of the word
|
Oral expression |
-
Be ready to ask for clarification
-
Check frequently to verify comprehension
of what client says
-
Mirror what the client says
-
Ask client to bring in written or taped notes,
questions, and thoughts
|
Auditory memory |
-
Reserve a few minutes at the beginning and end of a session to review previous
material
-
Provide continuity by discussing the focus
of the next session
-
Allow client to tape-record sessions or take
notes
-
Provide a simple list or diagram that you
have jotted down during the review of the session
-
Assign "homework" to stimulate the client's
memory between sessions.
|
If the client has difficulty with:
Attentiveness, restlessness |
The therapist can:
-
Shorten sessions
-
Allow for frequent, short breaks
|
Fidgeting, distractibility |
-
Remove distracting objects from office
-
Provide a noiseless, maleable object for
client to hold or squeeze
-
Allow client to stand, pace, sit in different
chairs
|
Disorganized or associative thinking,
wordy or tangential responses |
-
Be more directive overall
-
Play a more active role than usual in determining
the structure and focus of therapy
|
Tendency to stray from the topic |
-
Get therapy started by asking a direct question
-
Actively weigh what is heard and consider
what to focus on and what to let slide by (see Hallowell & Ratey, 1994)
|