Effects of speech and language treatment on recovery from aphasia.

Language recovery in aphasic patients who received one of three types of speech and language treatment was compared with that in aphasic patients who received no treatment. One hundred aphasic patients were followed from 2 to 4 weeks postonset for 1 year or until recovery, using a standardized test battery administered at systematic intervals. Both treatment methods provided by trained speech-language pathologists were efficacious, while the method provided by trained nonprofessionals approached statistical significance. Small group size prevented resolution of the question of whether one type of treatment was superior to another.