Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) Exercises – AAC Practice

Mental Word Maps

Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) was originally developed as a language rehabilitation approach for individuals with moderate expressive aphasia. These SFA exercises act as a mental word map to support language recovery and AAC use by helping organize and strengthen connections between words and their meanings: 

• Each exercise helps the user visually and mentally organize a word by exploring its key features.
• Focuses on category, function, place, properties/attributes, and related words to build connections.
• Strengthens semantic networks in the brain, making it easier to retrieve words quickly.
• Supports effective communication by guiding the user to think about word meaning and relationships.
• Encourages caregiver involvement: prompt features, model responses, and engage the user in discussion.
• Promotes generalization, so the user can access words across different situations and contexts.

Caregiver Prompts

• Guide attention: “Let’s look at this word. What kind of thing is it?” (Category)
• Discuss use/function: “What can we do with this?” (Function/Use)
• Add context/place: “Where do we usually see or use this?” (Place)
• Explore details: “What does it look like, feel like, or what is it made of?” (Properties/Attributes)
• Make connections: “What other words or items are related?” (Related Words)
• Model and scaffold: Point to or select answers first, then encourage the user to respond.
• Reinforce and repeat: Praise responses, discuss alternatives, and revisit exercises for practice.

Remember: These exercises help the user map words mentally, facilitating faster retrieval and more effective use of AAC across different situations and contexts.

Download and print the PDF at the bottom of this page for quick reference to these instructions.