Article

People with aphasia are often excluded from research because of their
communication impairments, especially when an investigation into the
communication impairment is not the primary goal. In our research concerning
social participation of people with aphasia, we wanted to include people with
mild, moderate as well as severe aphasia. AIM: To suggest strategies and
techniques for research in people with aphasia based upon experiences in
conducting research in this group of people. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative
study and a quantitative study in people with aphasia concerning their social
participation. In these studies different strategies were developed based upon
the literature, conversations with people with aphasia and speech and language
therapists, to facilitate the inclusion of people with aphasia, even those with
severe communication problems. Several strategies were evaluated. The strategies
used and our experiences are outlined in this report. MAIN CONTRIBUTION: It is
possible to conduct research in this group. Several strategies were helpful to
make this mission possible: the use of pre-structured diaries, the use of
in-depth interviews with attention to non-verbal communication, the use of
existing measurements, adjusted for people with aphasia by: using pictograms,
placing one question per page, bolding the key concepts in the question, using
large font, visualizing the answering possibilities in words and in pictures,
reducing the question length, and excluding negatives in the question.
CONCLUSION: Research in people with aphasia is possible when using strategies
adjusted to the communicative impairment.

Langue : ANGLAIS