Introduction

Which are the common principles in aphasiology that can facilitate the integration of linguistics in the assessment and treatment of people with aphasia? How can linguistics support a better investigation of the language in people with aphasia? Is linguistics necessary for language assessment and therapy in people with aphasia or can diagnosis and therapeutical targets be set without referring to linguistics components and within non-linguistics models? This chapter is a brief overview on the influence of linguistic theory for aphasiology, covering foundation concepts of the field of aphasiology from an historical point of view. It will briefly summarize the main topics of the book and propose points for discussion on the general link between linguistics and aphasia, discussing the implications of generating predictions based on the theory of language to better understand the language profile and the needs of people with aphasia.