Assessments in outcome evaluation in aphasia therapy

Substantiating the claim

Authors

  • Jytte Isaksen University of Southern Denmark
  • Catherine E. Brouwer University of Southern Denmark

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/jircd.v6i1.71

Keywords:

aphasia therapy, outcome evaluation, conversation analysis, epistemic rights, institutional interaction

Abstract

Outcomes of aphasia therapy in Denmark are documented in evaluation sessions in which both the person with aphasia and the speech-language therapist take part. The participants negotiate agreements on the results of therapy. By means of conversation analysis, we study how such agreements on therapy outcome are reached interactionally. The sequential analysis of 34 video recordings focuses on a recurrent method for reaching agreements in these outcome evaluation sessions. In and through a special sequence of conversational assessment it is claimed that the person with aphasia has certain communicative skills. Such claims are systematically substantiated by invoking examples of the person with aphasia performing this skill either outside or inside the therapeutic setting. Substantiation can be seen as a form of validation of the claim and thereby a basis is set for agreement. The findings suggest that in this type of evaluation the requirements of producing a valid account in which the person with aphasia has been heard are being met.

Author Biographies

  • Jytte Isaksen, University of Southern Denmark

    Jytte Isaksen is a PH.D candidate at the Institute of Language and Communication, University of Southern Denmark, and is a member of the research group Social Practices and Cognition (SoPraCon). She researches clinical issues in aphasia therapy with different qualitative approaches. Her PH.D thesis is about different aspects of outcome evaluation in aphasia therapy. She teaches in aphasia, dysarthria and other language and communication related topics at the Audiology and Speech Pathology department. Most recent publication is ‘It really makes good sense’: the role of outcome evaluation in aphasia therapy in Denmark (2014, International journal of language and communication disorders).

  • Catherine E. Brouwer, University of Southern Denmark

    Catherine E. Brouwer is a conversation analyst and associate professor at the University of Southern Denmark, and a member of SoPraCon. Catherine’s research interests focus on interactions in which there is a challenge in relation to participants’ competencies, i.e. interactions involving second language users, and persons with impairments, which may affect communication (e.g. hearing impairment, aphasia, dementia). She teaches at the Audiology and Speech Pathology department in Language and Communication related topics. Two recent publications on communications disorders are: Talking ‘cognition’ in the audiologogy clinic in Evaluation Cognitive Competencies in Interaction (Rasmussen, Brouwer, & Day, 2012) and Treating the actions of children as sensible: Investigating structures in interactions between children with disabilities and their parents (Brouwer et al. 2011, (2), 2 in this journal).

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Published

2015-01-30

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Isaksen, J., & Brouwer, C. (2015). Assessments in outcome evaluation in aphasia therapy: Substantiating the claim. Journal of Interactional Research in Communication Disorders, 6(1), 71-95. https://doi.org/10.1558/jircd.v6i1.71