Studying and Treating the Communicative Dyad

Aphasia is a communication disorder that affects not only the communication of the individual but also the communication of the people who interact with the individual on a regular basis. Language intervention, therefore, should include a component of training and educating the caregivers as well as the person with aphasia (Purdy & Hindenlang, 2005). In recent years, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have begun to take more of a social context approach to aphasia intervention, making it more functional for the client and including the caregivers through training (Turner & Whitworth, 2006). Many studies have investigated different types of caregiver training programs and their effectiveness on improved communication between the person with aphasia (PWA) and his or her caregiver (Hopper, Holland, & Rewega, 2002; Purdy & Hindenlang, 2005; Turner & Whitworth, 2006). While these studies suggest that caregiver training programs improve the communication dyad, there is little existing evidence to suggest that skills learned through these programs generalize to settings outside of the therapy room.

The types of caregiver training programs, the programs’ effectiveness, and their long-term outcomes have been reviewed by Turner and Whitworth (2006). There were three major types of conversation partner training (CPT) programs that the researchers identified in the available literature. One type was Conversation Analysis motivated therapy, which encourages collaborative conversation, and the communication partners shape their responses based on the previous conversational turn. In this manner, both conversational partners have a responsibility to do their part in achieving a successful interaction.

Another type of CPT examined in the rev...

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...econd, this study may provide further support for the benefits of actively including the spouse or caregiver in therapy. Finally, it may provide a detailed training program that SLPs can use when training caregivers and loved ones of people with aphasia that could be used as part of the therapeutic process in addition to traditional therapy aimed at improving the communication of the person with aphasia.

Works Cited

Hopper, T., Holland, A., & Rewega, M. (2002). Conversational coaching: Treatment outcomes and future directions. Aphasiology, 16(7), 745-761.

Purdy, M., & Hindenlang, J. (2005). Educating and training caregivers of persons with aphasia. Aphasiology, 19, 377-388.

Turner, S., & Whitworth, A. (2006). Conversational partner training programmes in aphasia: A review of key themes and participants’ roles. Aphasiology, 20(6), 483-510.