M-MAT
Available now
M-MAT is an evidence-based aphasia therapy programme delivered in person by trained clinicians.
- Proven effective in clinical research
- Free therapist manuals and materials
- Demonstration videos available
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About Multi-Modality Aphasia Therapy
Multi-Modality Aphasia Therapy (M-MAT) is an evidence-based, group treatment designed to help people with aphasia speak more confidently in everyday life.
M-MAT combines multiple ways of communicating—gesture, drawing, reading, and writing—but always with one clear goal: to strengthen verbal communication.
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How it works
- Group format: Typically three people with aphasia plus a speech pathologist.
- Multi-modality: Non-speech strategies are used to support speech, rather than replace it.
- Language action games: Therapy happens through structured card games, where language always serves a purpose (to request, choose, or move the game forward).
- Therapist-led: Delivered by qualified speech pathologists.
Quick summary of M-MAT in practice
Interactive language use
People with aphasia play a variety of interactive games using paired card sets with nouns or verbs on them.
Increasing carrier phrase complexity.
Within the games, they verbally produce the target noun or verb in a carrier phrase. As accuracy improves across sessions, the carrier phrase increases in length and complexity.
Multimodal cueing hierarchy.
When a person is unable to retrieve the target word, the therapist guides them through the cueing hierarchy that includes multimodal productions (gesture, drawing, writing and reading the word).
Home practice and transfer tasks are built into M-MAT.
What M-MAT is not
M-MAT is sometimes mistaken for total communication approaches such as PACE. The difference is:
- Total communication: any modality is used to get the message across (gesture, drawing, AAC, speech).
- M-MAT: non-speech modalities are used to facilitate word retrieval and verbal expression.
While clients may also become more confident using gesture, drawing, or writing, this is a secondary benefit. The primary goal of M-MAT is stronger spoken communication.
What's the evidence?
Multi-Modality Aphasia Therapy is supported by randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and has demonstrated cost-effectiveness in improving communication skills in patients with aphasia.
See trial summaries at Aphasia Therapy Finder or watch the video abstract below.
Provide M-MAT to your clients
M-MAT is freely available for in-person delivery, and a telehealth version is being evaluated.
M-MAT Tele
Undergoing testing
M-MAT Tele is a telehealth version of M-MAT, adapted for online delivery with people with aphasia.
- Designed for videoconferencing
- 30 hours over five weeks
- Currently being tested in a randomised trial during 2025–2026
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