Affiliation:
1. University of Louisiana at Lafayette
2. James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
3. Lamar University, Beaumont, TX
4. Bowling Green State University, OH
5. Aphasia Center of California, Oakland
Abstract
Purpose:
Participation in aphasia groups is associated with increased communication, reduced feelings of social isolation, and increased quality of life. Despite the growing popularity of online aphasia groups, little is known about how to manage conversation in this format. We examined online aphasia book club sessions to examine how the facilitator supported group members' participation in conversation.
Method:
Interactional sociolinguistic discourse analysis was used to analyze the behaviors and actions of the facilitator and group members. Qualitative data for this study were drawn from four recorded online aphasia book club sessions held through a university's free aphasia clinic on the Zoom web-conferencing platform.
Results:
Sociolinguistic discourse analysis revealed strategic facilitator behaviors that served to (a) give members with varying levels of verbal language abilities voice, (b) foreground or background aspects of voice, and (c) minimize her own voice to promote interactional symmetry between herself and group members.
Conclusions:
Identity formed the backdrop for facilitators' actions when leading online groups, guiding decisions about who got to talk, when, for how long, through what modality, and about what topics. A better understanding of the interactions that occur online, such as how to develop and protect the identities of group members, could equip facilitators with the tools necessary for facilitating positive, engaging aphasia therapy groups online.
Publisher
American Speech Language Hearing Association
Subject
Speech and Hearing,Linguistics and Language,Developmental and Educational Psychology,Otorhinolaryngology
Reference53 articles.
1. Akers C. M. Boyle M. Swiderksi A. M. Hula W. D. Cavanaugh R. & Elman R. J. (2023). Changes in complete utterances following communication-based group treatment for chronic aphasia [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Department of Speech-Language Pathology Jefferson College of Rehabilitation Sciences Thomas Jefferson University.
2. Aphasia Center of California. (2021). The Book Connection: A life participation book club for individuals with acquired reading impairment [Manual] (2nd ed.). https://aphasiacenter.net/the-book-connection/
3. Facilitating participation in conversation groups for aphasia
4. Key wording practices in three aphasia conversation groups: a preliminary study
5. Topic selection sequences in aphasia conversation groups