Systemic-Functional Perspectives on Acquired Language Disorder: A Strength versus Deficit Approach

Abstract

Language impairment is a commonly occurring consequence of brain impairment following left cerebral hemisphere stroke and traumatic brain injury. While some recovery usually occurs, persistent communication impairment interferes significantly with a person’s social functioning. Language rehabilitation aims to restore optimum functional communication by enabling a person to recover impaired language skills, and importantly, to utilize remaining language resources. The Systemic- Functional model of language, being concerned with how language is used and language as potential resource, is a highly relevant framework for language rehabilitation. This paper describes how Systemic-Functional- Linguistic theory is currently being applied to the description and interpretation of acquired communication impairment in adults.