| Abstract: |
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of tangible stimuli on the linguistic communication abilities of individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Four females diagnosed with probable AD participated in the study. A single-subject experimental design with replications across subjects was employed to assess the effects of the intervention on the communicative function of the AD patients. Participants in this study produced more meaningful and relevant statements, as measured by information units, when a toy stimulus was present. However, the presence of a toy was not associated with an increase in the total words or number of verbal initiations for three of the four participants. The realism of the stimuli did not affect the total words or information units produced. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed. |
