In this SIG 2 activity, participants explore the needs of people with aphasia and other cognitive-communication impairments as they interact with the legal system. The first article is a systematic review that reviews the historic accommodations that have been made to support people with aphasia during court proceedings. Using these, the article provides proactive recommendations for the support of people with aphasia who are involved with legal proceedings. The second article discusses the etiologies and prevalence of cognitive-communication disorders in people who are involved in the criminal justice system. Recommendations are provided for SLPs to participate as a part of the interdisciplinary team working with these youth and adults.

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• combine and integrate strategies to facilitate people with aphasia to be full and equal participants in the justice system
• summarize the role of the SLP (i.e., prevention, assessment, treatment, and advocacy) at various points across the trajectory of the criminal justice system

Assessment Type
Self-assessment—Think about what you learned and report on the Completion Form how you will use your new knowledge.

Articles in This Course

1. Court Accommodations for People With Aphasia (1915–2021) by Sue Sherratt, published in SIG 2, Volume 9, Issue 1, February 8, 2024
2. Cognitive-Communication Disorders and Neurodisability in the Criminal Justice System: Emerging Roles, Responsibilities, and Opportunities for Speech-Language Pathologists by Maya Albin and Catherine Wiseman-Hakes, published in SIG 2, Volume 8, Issue 6, December 7, 2023