Partners' self-perceptions of the use of different communication strategies during total communication intervention

• Published in: Aphasiology 2011-12, Vol.25 (12), p.1523-1542
• Main Author: Rautakoski, Pirkko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aphasia; Communication strategies; Partners' support; Self-assessment; Total communication
• ISSN: 0268-7038; 1464-5041
• DOI: 10.1080/02687038.2011.624164

Background: Collaboration between people with aphasia and their communication partners is needed to achieve success in communication. Some of the partners change their own behaviour spontaneously and start to use different strategies to ensure that conversations are successful, but many require training to do so. Aims: The aim of the present study was to examine to what extent communication partners perceive they use different strategies to support the conversation and if they perceive changes in the use of these strategies during an intervention concentrating on total communication. Methods & Procedures: The data were collected during regular rehabilitation courses, which were carried out in two parts (8 + 4 days) with a 3-month interval. People with aphasia participated in the whole course and the partners joined in for the last 2 days of the first part and the whole of the second part (2 + 4 days). The aim of the intervention was to encourage people with aphasia to use total communication and to guide the communication partners to facilitate the use of total communication and to support the conversation. A total of 43 communication partners participated in the present study: 33 participated in a course with their aphasic partners, but 10 did not and formed the control group. Before the first and second parts of the course and 6 months after the course the partners completed a questionnaire comprising 20 questions concerning different communication strategies. Outcomes & Results: Before the intervention both the participating partners and the control group perceived that they quite often used different strategies to support the conversation. The means of the 20 questions were 62.9/100 and 58.9/100 respectively. Both groups perceived an increase in the use of different strategies after the first part of the course but the change was statistically significant only in the participating group, F(1, 32) = 8.025, p = .016. The participating group perceived a significant increase in the use of strategies supporting verbal comprehension and production after the first part of the course, F(1, 32) = 6.925, p = .026, but perceived a decrease in the use of them when measured 6 months after the course. Conclusions: Communication partners perceive that they often use different strategies to support communication. The self-assessment method can make the partners more aware of these strategies. An intervention can increase the partners' awareness of the comprehension pr