iTAWC (pronounced “I-talk”) is the first and only intensive aphasia program available in all of Western Canada. Located in beautiful Vancouver, we provide evidence-based, personalized, intensive aphasia therapy. Although our aphasia program location in Vancouver, British Columbia may provide especially convenient access to those in western Canada (BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) and the western United States (Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah), we welcome clients from all corners of Canada and the United States. Our program is an “ICAP” (standing for Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program) and is one of only a handful of such programs world-wide. Within iTAWC, we provide treatment that is recovery-based alongside treatment that is focused on increasing social participation. Technology is used as appropriate for our clients for reaching both of these goals. Please take A Closer Look at our program to learn more about the structure and approaches used. Register for 4-week Intensive Aphasia Clinic Our fall 2021 program is open for registration on a first-come-first-served basis. It will take place at our wheelchair accessible offices, conveniently located on West Broadway in Vancouver close to several major rapid transit routes including Skytrain. For further registration details or information please check out our Frequently Asked Questions, or contact us at itawc@columbiaspeech.com or 604-875-9100. Mission Statement At iTAWC, our mission is to provide evidenced-based therapy and treatment for people with aphasia, focused on both recovery of function and increased social participation; to build capacity for aphasia treatment by providing clinical training for future clinicians; and to provide a foundation upon which future research into aphasia treatment can be conducted. Core Values and Beliefs The ability to communicate is an essential component of an individual’s quality of life Each person with aphasia is an individual who must be respected as an expert in their own aphasia and their own aphasia symptoms; their treatment must be personalized to their goals and needs People with chronic aphasia can improve their communication regardless of time post onset, with appropriately focused and intense aphasia treatment The social network of people with aphasia is an essential part of their lives and their recovery in and out of therapy Future service delivery to people with aphasia will be enhanced by future clinicians receiving increased exposure both to people with aphasia and to current evidence-based treatment methods as part of their clinical training Future research into the efficacy of various aphasia treatment methods is necessary We are now accepting registrations for our fall 2021 program on a first come first served basis. Call us today at 604-875-9100 or email itawc@columbiaspeech.com with your questions or to register. For further information regarding our intensive aphasia program, refer to the sections below: About Us Program and Registration info. …More A Closer Look Take a tour of the iTAWC program....
iTAWC is an example of what has come to be known as an “ICAP” (an Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program). This means that it is one of a handful of programs world-wide that offer a variety of treatment methods and approaches to people with aphasia, including those focused on recovery, social participation and technology, within an intensive treatment format. iTAWC is on the cutting edge of evidence-based aphasia treatment.
iTAWC runs for four weeks. The first and last days are filled with activities such as orientation, assessment, client and family interview, client/family/therapist meetings, debriefing and guest speakers. For the remaining eighteen days, clients receive 3 to 4 hours per day (Monday to Friday) of highly personalized speech and language therapy.
As you can see above from the above photo (taken at our wrap-up party at the end of the program in 2011) iTAWC provides a big support network for a small group of iTAWC participants! Family, friends and care workers are included along with the therapists and clients (and interns during the summer sessions).
The program is truly intensive, as can be seen from the overview below of a sample daily treatment schedule. This is why it is very important for participants to have adequate stamina and endurance to enroll in our program.
| Daily Schedule | |
|
8:45 |
Gather with other participants for coffee, cookies and small talk. |
| 9:00 |
First of Two Individual Therapy Sessions with S-LP |
| 10:00 |
Second of Two Individual Therapy Sessions with S-LP |
| 11:00 |
Lab Session |
|
Focus on Technology – iPad, telephone use, computer, Skype, email, Facebook, etc. as appropriate |
|
| 12:00 -1:00 |
Lab Session / small group discussion |
|
Focus on Function – conversation skills, structured conversation (i.e., telling a story, asking questions), reading, further work on technology as appropriate |
|
* This sample is for a summer session in which student interns deliver some of the services. At other times of year, the treatment sessions are delivered by registered SLPs and is one hour shorter.
The approaches and methods used reflect the developers’ commitment to the key concepts of intensity, the primacy of verbal language, small numbers of participants, a high degree of personalization of both materials and goals, a high ratio of staff to clients and use of current research in the field, including research regarding neuroplasticity and social/life participation approach to aphasia. Up to date technology is used, including computer programs for speech practice, iPad applications as needed and email practice. Here are some highlights of iTAWC:
A client and his primary student intern work together on a presentation the client gave to the group.
At iTAWC, we are committed to furthering the state of aphasia treatment by providing clinical internship opportunities to future speech-language pathologists during our summer sessions. University of British Columbia graduate students spend a month with us, beginning with training before clients arrive at iTAWC. Each graduate student SLP (speech-language pathologist) intern is paired with one client for the first and fourth quarters of the treatment program; hence each student has a primary client and each client has a primary student. While the students also rotate through a second and third client, gaining exposure to different types and degrees of aphasia and different individuals, there is no doubt that their strongest bond is with their “primary” client and we have seen some long-term relationships develop as a result of this bond. Because some of the therapy is delivered by student interns in the summer sessions, these programs are expanded by one hour daily to ensure clients receive full value for their fee.
Students also serve as “guides” to the clients – they stay with their client all day, escorting them from one therapy session to the next and helping to provide consistency for the client throughout the day. Note that clients work with students only under the direct supervision of an experienced and fully qualified SLP. Student clinicians are included in our program to increase the intensity of treatment in a cost-effective manner and to reflect our commitment to enriching the state of knowledge about evidence-based aphasia treatment for future SLPs; student interns are not present to substitute for SLP contact.
A client with her primary student intern during a treatment session.
At iTAWC, we know that family and friends are an integral part of the life and recovery of people with aphasia. Hence, a family intake and exit interview are part of our treatment and assessment process. While family members are not required to be available throughout the entire five weeks, we do encourage interested friends and family members to participate if they and their family members wish. (There may also be some times when we ask that family members stay home, in order to provide our clients the opportunity for more independence in communication.) Assuming that the client with aphasia agrees, family members are included in the goal-setting and follow up training for their loved one.
Left: Family meetings include the whole team: SLPs, students, clients and family members.
Right: In the foreground, a client, her care worker, her sister, an SLP student intern and one of her SLPs explore relevant technology, while in the background, a client, his wife, a student intern, the senior SLP and the staff SLP assigned to him have a family “exit” meeting.
Call us today at 604-875-9100 or email itawc@columbiaspeech.com with your questions or to register.