Neurológia pre prax 4/2016

Using the Multimodal Communication Screening Test for Persons with Aphasia (MCST-A) in diagnosing and treating two patients with severe degree of aphasia: a case study

Patients with severe degree of aphasia who are unable to communicate through oral speech are good candidates for so-called augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). In order to choose the most effective method of AAC, it is important to identify the global communicative capacities of patients. For this purpose, the diagnostic test called Multimodal Communication Screening Test for Persons with Aphasia (MCST-A) and developed by Garrett and Lasker (2005) can be used. Using this methodology, we aimed to determine, in two patients with severe degree of Broca’s aphasia, what their strengths and weaknesses were in terms of communication, which AAC aid was best for them, and which AAC strategies they used most successfully in order to communicate a target message. These findings can then directly guide us in choosing the most appropriate treatment that we, speech therapists, can provide.

Keywords: MCST-A, aphasia, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)