Table 1 Eligibility criteria for the Rotterdam Aphasia Therapy Study (RATS) – 3

1. Aphasia after stroke, determined by a neurologist or rehabilitation physician and speech and language therapist;

2. Within two weeks after stroke;

3. Testable with ScreeLing [20];

4. Aphasia ascertained with shortened Token Test [21] and/or a score <5 on Goodglass Aphasia Severity Rating Scale [22];

5. Age between 18 and 85 years;

6. Language near native Dutch;

7. Life expectancy of more than six months.

Exclusion criteria:

1.    Pre-existing aphasia;

2.    Subarachnoid/subdural haemorrhage/hematoma;

3.    Severe threats to success and/or feasibility of language therapy:

      a.       Severe dysarthria;

      b.       Premorbid dementia;

      c.       Illiteracy;

      d.       Severe developmental dyslexia;

      e.       Severe visual perceptual disorders;

      f.       Recent psychiatric history.