Wheelchair transfer training in a stroke patient with neglect

Two therapeutic strategies aimed at teaching a left hemiplegic patient with neglect to transfer from his wheelchair to his bed were compared. Therapist-directed instruction (verbal prompting) was compared with patient-directed instruction (verbal mediation). The patient's performance improved using both strategies. The improvement was greater using the verbal mediation strategy, which enabled the patient to transfer more independently. It is suggested that therapists should utilise the preserved language function in patients with visuo-spatial disabilities to teach them motor tasks.