The Relationship Between Functional Communication and Quality of Life in Individuals with Aphasia


Book Description

"The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between functional communication, as measured by the Functional Assessment of Communication Skills for Adults (FACS) and the Communicative Effectiveness Index (CETI), and quality of communication life, as measured by the Quality of Communication Life Scale (QCL). A case study design was used to examine this relationship. A Spearman analysis was also conducted to examine the correlation between the FACS, CETI, and QCL. The FACS, CETI, and QCL were administered over a period of three hours of contact over three sessions with participants at their homes to meet the minimum three hour requirement for scoring the FACS. The Spearman analysis of the data indicated there were no correlations between the FACS, CETI, and QCL scores. Further examination of the data indicated that there were no patterns between the participant's scores on the FACS, CETI, or QCL. The absence of patterns in the participant's scores indicates that further research is necessary to fully understand the relationship between functional communication and quality of communication life. Patterns were noted between the participant's demographic information and other testing and the QCL. These patterns indicated that many factors seem to affect quality of life and quality of communication life. Indications for significant other support were also noted"--Abstract.




Quality of Life in Aphasia


Book Description

This special issue of the journal Aphasiologyis dedicated to the topic of quality of life in aphasia.







Functional Assessment of Communication Skills for Adults (ASHA FACS)


Book Description

The ASHA FACS is a measure of basic functional skills that are common to individuals regardless of age, gender, socioeconomic status, education/vocational status, or cultural diversity. The measures provide helpful information in assisting both clinicians and payers.




The Importance of Aphasia Communication Groups


Book Description

Chronic aphasia is linked to poor functional recovery, depression, and social isolation. In the exploration of the above factors, the role of aphasia communication groups has evolved. Aphasia communication groups for stroke survivors with chronic aphasia and their communication buddies are gaining clinical importance. Communication buddies can be family members, friends, carers, health professionals, and speech and language therapy students who serve as communication facilitators for each group member. Group members share experiences on stroke and aphasia by using technology/tablets and the total communication approach. The benefits or outcomes of group involvement are measured by assessment of functional communication, individual self-ratings of the impact of aphasia on communication, and quality of life after stroke. The use of the communication buddy system, total communication approach, and systematic evaluations enables therapists to measure the effectiveness and efficacy of communication groups in terms of functional communication, social inclusion, and quality of life.




Aphasia Rehabilitation


Book Description




Neurogenic Communication Disorders and the Life Participation Approach


Book Description

The Life Participation Approach to Aphasia (LPAA) is an evolutionary change in the way practitioners view aphasia intervention. By focusing on meeting the needs of individuals affected by aphasia, LPAA can produce real, meaningful enhancement to the quality of life. Neurogenic Communication Disorders and the Life Participation Approach: The Social Imperative in Supporting Individuals and Families breaks down the past, present, and future of the LPAA movement with contributions from a range of new and experienced practitioners. In addition, this text provides a roadmap for professionals interested in incorporating person-centered intervention for aphasia and other neurogenic communication disorders, including primary progressive aphasia, dementia, and traumatic brain injury. Within this book, clinicians will find tips, tools, and guidance for integrating a life participation approach into their practice, as well as first-hand descriptions of the positive benefits this approach can have for those living with neurogenic communication disorders.




The Oxford Handbook of Aphasia and Language Disorders


Book Description

The Oxford Handbook of Aphasia and Language Disorders' integrates neural and cognitive perspectives, providing a comprehensive overview of the complex language and communication impairments that arise in individuals with acquired brain damage.




Evaluating the Relationship Between Executive Functioning, Spoken, Discourse, and Life Participation in Aphasia


Book Description

Aphasia is an acquired language disorder that can often compromise spoken discourse abilities (i.e., everyday language use) and negatively impact an individual's quality of life (QoL). Previous research suggests a strong relationship between complex cognitive skills such as executive functions (EF) and spoken discourse in adults with and without brain injury (Marini et al., 2011). However, this association has been insufficiently explored in persons with aphasia (PWA) despite these individuals frequently demonstrating EF and spoken discourse deficits (Andreetta et al., 2012; Murray, 2017). Furthermore, few studies have examined the role of such cognitive-linguistic difficulties on life participation in aphasia. Accordingly, the current study aimed to examine the EF and spoken discourse abilities of PWA and analyze the relationship between EF, discourse, and aphasia-related life participation outcomes. Twenty-two PWA and 24 healthy controls completed a comprehensive EF testing battery and a story retell task. Additionally, PWA and their caregivers completed assessments to evaluate life participation/psychosocial functioning. Confirming prior research (e.g., Cahana-Amitay & Jenkins, 2018), we found that PWA demonstrated significantly poorer EF skills, produced less coherent narratives with fewer words, more frequent word-finding errors, reduced lexical diversity, fewer main ideas, and less efficient language use than controls. Consistent with Chiou and Yu (2018), our PWA exhibited low life participation and psychosocial assessment scores, suggesting a significant impact of aphasia on their QoL. For PWA, overall discourse efficiency was significantly associated with EF skills including verbal fluency, planning, analogical reasoning, and cognitive flexibility. Finally, better EF and discourse abilities correlated with improved aphasia-related life participation outcomes. Our findings suggest that impaired cognitive-linguistic abilities can negatively affect functional communication and life participation abilities in PWA. The study emphasizes the importance of evaluating EF, spoken discourse, and patient-reported outcomes in clinical practice to improve rehabilitation success and QoL among PWA.




Aphasia — A Social Approach


Book Description

The social model of disability emerged from the work of the Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation (UPIAS) who published The Fundamental Principles of Disability in 1976. Central to this were two themes: that it was the experience and expertise of disabled people that was crucial in developing a true understanding of the phenomenon of disability and that the main problems of disabled people were externally located in the disabling barriers and social restrictions that they faced. Building upon these themes and the rigid distinction between impair ment and disability that the Fundamental Principles insisted upon, I further developed the social model as the basis of more appropriate professional practice as part of my own work in teaching disability issues to social workers (Oliver, 1983). Subsequently the social model became the accepted vehicle for the promotion and development of disability equality training (Campbell and Gillespie-Sells, 1991) and the basis of the collective self-organization of disabled people into a powerful political movement (Campbell and Oliver, 1996). Outside of social work, the impact of the social model of disability on professional consciousness, let alone practice, has been somewhat limited.