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A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of - Queen Margaret University

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people with apparently similar characteristics <strong>of</strong> aphasia do not always ga<strong>in</strong><br />

equal restitution <strong>of</strong> language function (Best and Nickels, 2000). Davis (1993)<br />

suggests that there are four different levels at which to target treatment goals:<br />

behavioural, general cognitive, specific cognitive and neurological and that<br />

language rehabilitation addresses all but the neurological level. However, this<br />

should not be the case as language rehabilitation <strong>in</strong>volves cortical plasticity (see<br />

section 2.5.4) and the importance <strong>of</strong> avoid<strong>in</strong>g maladaptive connections has<br />

already been discussed (see section 2.5.4). In order to fully <strong>in</strong>vestigate the<br />

process <strong>of</strong> recovery from aphasia any theory <strong>of</strong> rehabilitation would have to<br />

address the neurophysiological level <strong>of</strong> the recovery process (Gordon, 1999).<br />

Ferguson (1999) states that only when the underly<strong>in</strong>g process <strong>of</strong> language<br />

rehabilitation is ascerta<strong>in</strong>ed and understood can it be appraised and improved.<br />

The constra<strong>in</strong>ts to this process may then help identify why some people are<br />

more amenable to rehabilitation than others (Howard, 1999). Where does one<br />

beg<strong>in</strong> when try<strong>in</strong>g to establish a theoretical account <strong>of</strong> therapy that identifies the<br />

underly<strong>in</strong>g process(es) <strong>in</strong> language rehabilitation? The application <strong>of</strong> some<br />

prom<strong>in</strong>ent theories <strong>of</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g could be applied to aphasia rehabilitation as they<br />

<strong>in</strong>corporate conditions that are necessary for shap<strong>in</strong>g adaptive behaviours while<br />

ext<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g maladaptive behaviours, thus <strong>in</strong>stat<strong>in</strong>g or re<strong>in</strong>stat<strong>in</strong>g neural<br />

pathways (Ferguson, 1999). Howard (1999) argues that the use <strong>of</strong> theories <strong>of</strong><br />

learn<strong>in</strong>g is not enough <strong>in</strong> itself but agrees that <strong>in</strong> order to expla<strong>in</strong> the theory <strong>of</strong><br />

therapy the process <strong>of</strong> aphasia rehabilitation may <strong>in</strong>volve different k<strong>in</strong>ds <strong>of</strong><br />

learn<strong>in</strong>g at various stages <strong>of</strong> recovery. He states that any theory <strong>of</strong> therapy<br />

would also have to address the question <strong>of</strong> how the process is effective <strong>in</strong><br />

relation to the presentation <strong>of</strong> the language impairment.<br />

As <strong>in</strong>dicated, any theory <strong>of</strong> rehabilitation would <strong>in</strong>volve an <strong>in</strong>teraction <strong>of</strong> the<br />

complexities <strong>of</strong> the bra<strong>in</strong>’s normal response to damage (<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g cortical<br />

reorganisation); various theories <strong>of</strong> impairment and therapy; optimal tim<strong>in</strong>g; the<br />

48

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