Verbal Play as a Communicative Resource in Aphasia Treatment

Marcoski, Tara; Smego, Claire

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/90254 Copy

Description

Title

Verbal Play as a Communicative Resource in Aphasia Treatment

Author(s)

• Marcoski, Tara
• Smego, Claire

Contributor(s)

• Devanga, Suma
• Hengst, Julie

Issue Date

2016

Keyword(s)

• aphasia
• verbal play
• communicative resource
• humor
• treatment

Abstract

Aphasia is an impairment in language use due to brain damage. There are 80,000 new cases of aphasia each year in the United States (NSA, 2008). Speech language pathologists (SLPs) design treatments that help patients recover their language abilities. Sherratt & Simmons-Mackie (2015) argue that, humour has a substantial role to play in engaging clients by developing rapport, enhancing motivation, and facilitating more equal participation in interaction (p.16). This study investigates the role of verbal play in a 15-session barrier treatment study (Devanga, Hengst & Ernat, 2015) in which no specific attempt was made to elicit humor or verbal play. The participant with aphasia (Mr. Lee) and a communication partner worked together to identify, label, and place familiar photographs on their playing boards. The current study analyzed video data of 10 of Mr. Lees treatment sessions (5 with clinician-partner, 5 with spouse-partner). Drawing on Hengst (2006), all episodes of verbal play were identified and coded for speaker, interactional forms, resources, and functions. Analysis is ongoing and will be complete by mid-March. Preliminary findings document verbal play in all sessions and with all participants. We anticipate that episodes of verbal play will increase with an unfamiliar partner (SLP) and will remain stable with a routine partner (wife) across sessions. This study holds promise for helping us understand the role of verbal play in clinical settings: it should be an integral part of everyday communication and run throughout aphasia therapy like a melody (Sherratt & Simmons-Mackie, 2015, p.16).

Type of Resource

text

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/90254

Copyright and License Information

• Copyright 2016, Smego
• Copyright 2016, Marcoski

Owning Collections