Supporting clinicians and researchers through CARA

Developed by researchers and clinicians at City St George’s, University of London, the City Access Resources for Aphasia (CARA) website brings together research, training and clinical resources in one accessible location. The website aims to bridge the gap between research and practice, helping ensure that people with aphasia can benefit from the latest evidence-based approaches.

Aphasia is a complex language disorder, caused when the language areas of the brain are affected. It can be caused by brain injury, stroke, cancer, epilepsy, or certain types of dementia. Some 350,000 people live with aphasia in the UK, and it can affect their ability to understand language, speak, read and/or write. As language is central to many aspects of daily life, aphasia greatly impacts the person, including their ability to participate in daily interactions, work, relationships and friendships, their mood and wellbeing, and quality of life. It also impacts those around them, such as family.

What is CARA?

Academics and clinicians in the Centre for Language & Communication Science Research at City St George's have a long history of impactful aphasia research. The team continue to develop evidence-based assessment and therapy approaches with and for those who live with aphasia.

To increase access to these resources and support their use in clinical practice, the team created the CARA website. The website serves as a central hub for clinicians, researchers and students, providing access to a wide range of evidence-based resources developed through research at City St George's. The available resources include assessment tools and guides, aphasia therapies, training and toolkits to support practice, and the CARA Resource Hub with videos, resources and information about City Aphasia Lab research projects.

Speaking about CARA, Dr Abi Roper, Research Fellow and Speech and Language Therapist at City St George’s, said:

“Person-centred therapy and support have always been at the heart of our aphasia research in the Centre for Language & Communication Science Research. We are delighted that CARA allows us to share our practical and accessible evidence-based resources with clinicians and researchers around the world.”

Showcasing current and past research

In addition to practical resources, CARA also showcases current and past aphasia research projects being conducted by the City Aphasia Lab, including the Aphasia Partnership Training (APT) project and the MARS (Machine Analysis and Reporting of Spoken personal stories with aphasia) Project. The website, which was funded by the Tavistock Trust for Aphasia, the Stroke Association and internal City St George’s funds, provides information about ongoing studies, research findings and opportunities to learn more about innovations in aphasia assessment, intervention and service delivery. The resources include a range of videos that can be used to raise awareness of aphasia and train clinicians and students. These resources have been praised by practitioners and researchers globally as a great resource for clinicians and student SLTs.

Great video resource for clinicians and student SLTs, thanks for putting this together.

Supporting clinical practice

Another area of the website focuses on supporting contemporary clinical practice, providing toolkits for clinicians. One currently available is the FATE-A toolkit that provides "How to" guides and training related to online assessment and therapy delivery. These materials were developed to help clinicians adapt to changing models of healthcare, such as the rise of telehealth, while maintaining high-quality, evidence-based support for people with aphasia.

Visit the CARA website to explore the available resources and learn more about aphasia research at City St George's https://cityaccess.org/