ABSTRACT
In the chapters that follow this short overview we examine the history of aphasia in the second half of the twentieth century, ending with the turn of the century, and briefly review some current developments that are so close to us in time that a ‘historical’ treatment may seem inappropriate; but the recent history of aphasia is history none the less. It is not our intention to critically review the current state of aphasiology, but to examine the relationship that twentieth-century developments have to the older history of aphasia. For contemporary discussion of current aphasiology there are a number of introductions and reference works which present the current situation comprehensively (e.g., Blanken et al., 1993a; Caplan, 1992; Davis, 2000; Denes & Pizzamiglio, 1999; Ellis & Young, 1988; Fabbro, 1999; Hillis, 2002; Kirshner, 1995; Lafond et al., 1993; LaPointe, 1997; Rapp, 2001; Stemmer & Whitaker, 1998).
