ABSTRACT
This chapter on pragmatic aspects of the assessment and treatment of aphasic adults will cover a number of topics that are important for understanding the goals and methods of aphasia management geared to everyday language use. The chapter will begin with a brief history of pragmatic concerns in relation to aphasia treatment. Next, it will provide a rationale for clinicians who focus treatment on pragmatic issues. The chapter will include both theoretical and practical perspectives, as well as a brief examination of what a pragmatic perspective might mean for current constraints on health care. Next, we will furnish examples of the broad range of activities related to both assessment and treatment that can find shelter under the pragmatic umbrella. Finally, we will look into our crystal ball, discussing what pragmatic approaches to treatment of aphasia might have to offer in the future, as various sources of information from other disciplines, and different paradigms, begin to influence treatment.
