The Life Participation Approach to Aphasia (LPAA) is not one specific treatment technique. Rather, it is a mindset or general approach to aphasia therapy.
According to LPAA, the primary goal of therapy is enhanced life participation. Life participation can mean different things to different people. It is based on what is important to each person. For some, it’s getting back to work. For others, it’s being involved with family or their community. For many, it’s being involved in a hobby or activity that they enjoy doing.
LPAA prioritizes the person with aphasia and their life goals. It is a collaborative model where the person with aphasia, their family, and the speech-language pathologist (SLP) are a team. They identify life participation goals and work together to reach them. With LPAA as a therapeutic mindset, the SLP can address how communication impacts life participation. The SLP can design therapy activities that will help the person with aphasia to engage in activities that are important to them. The primary goal of LPAA is increased life participation and improved quality of life.