Sentence Production Program for Aphasia

Sentence Production Program for Aphasia

(Formerly the HELPSS program)

Nancy Helm-Estabrooks and Marjorie Nicholas

The Sentence Production Program for Aphasia is a completely revised and updated edition of the Helm Elicited Language Program for Syntax Stimulation, or HELPSS. In the 17 years since HELPSS was first published, we have witnessed an explosion in research on the mechanisms of agrammatical phenomena in aphasia. Several studies have furthered our understanding of the disorders themselves. Also, they have provided us with important information about the treatment protocols that may be helpful in remediating these disorders. 

We have incorporated this new information in the creation of the Sentence Production Program for Aphasia, a superior treatment program. This program includes new stimulus materials and pictures, is shorter and easier to administer than HELPSS, and is designed to enhance functional communication. 

In using the program, you present a brief story with a picture. Then you elicit target phrases from the client using first delayed repetition (Level A) and then without the benefit of repetition (Level B). Once the client has mastered 15 examples in each of eight sentence types, the client moves on to the next sentence type.  

The eight sentence types in order of difficulty are as follows: Imperative Intransitive; Imperative Transitive; Wh- Interrogative, What and Who; Wh- Interrogative, Where and When; Declarative Transitive; Declarative Intransitive; Comparative; and Yes-No Questions.

TARGET GROUP: Adolescents and adults with agrammatical speech due to aphasia