Listy klinické logopedie

Listy klinické logopedie 2026, 10(1):24-32

Aphasia Therapy Finder - a Practical Guide to Aphasia Therapy

Mgr. Tomáš Benko¹, prof. PaedDr. Zsolt Cséfalvay, PhD.¹, Mgr. Viktória Čiernik Kevická, PhD.^1,2,3

¹ Univerzita Komenského v Bratislave, Pedagogická fakulta, Katedra logopédie, Šoltésovej 4, 811 08 Bratislava, Slovenská republika.

² Ústav informatiky SAV, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 07 Bratislava, Slovenská republika.

³ Centrum MEMORY n. o., Mlynarovičova 2571/21, 851 03 Bratislava, Slovenská republika.

Currently, there is justified scepticism about the effectiveness of speech-language therapy for aphasia, rooted in a historical lack of empirical evidence. In the past, it was commonly believed that after a certain period, typically six months post-lesion, substantial recovery of language and speech abilities was unlikely. However, recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses show that targeted, theory-driven, intensive and long-term therapy yields significant improvements in naming, comprehension, reading, writing and functional communication, including in the chronic stage of aphasia. Key determinants of effectiveness are timing of treatment onset, session intensity and frequency, total therapy hours and engagement in home practice; telerehabilitation is a feasible alternative when resources are limited. In everyday clinical settings, staffing and time constraints, insufficient knowledge and a lack of comprehensive therapeutic materials often lead to provision of insufficiently intensive, "homeopathic" doses of therapy. We present the Aphasia Therapy Finder (ATF) as a dynamic guidance framework and freely accessible database that systematically maps intervention approaches, their goals and levels of evidence, while providing practical protocols, implementation guides and materials. We recommend using ATF as a practical tool for selecting evidence-based interventions: it expands therapeutic options, addresses the needs of clinicians and patients, and supports higher-quality, more individualised aphasia rehabilitation.

Keywords: aphasia, speech-language therapy, evidence-based treatment, telerehabilitation, therapy intensity, functional communication

Received: February 20, 2026; Revised: February 20, 2026; Accepted: March 16, 2026; Published: June 14, 2026  Show citation