Honors College Theses

Publication Date

3-29-2023

Major

Communication Sciences and Disorders (B.S.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Faculty Mentor

Dr. April Garrity

Abstract

Aphasia is a neurogenic language disorder caused by damage to the language areas of the brain in the left hemisphere, resulting in speech and language impairments. People with aphasia (PWA) often receive services from speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who provide screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment to address communication deficits. Aphasia is a chronic condition and PWA experience symptoms throughout their lives. Healthcare costs related to aphasia account for $46 billion annually. Provider shortages, lack of transportation, insurance constraints, and travel expenses can leave PWA without adequate care. One possible solution to the costs and access issues is the implementation of self-management for chronic aphasia. Through self-management, PWA take responsibility for their care after being educated on how to manage their symptoms and make adaptive communication changes. However, clinicians have limited resources to guide them in implementing this approach. This study utilized a pre-test/post-test design to: 1) assess the knowledge and perceptions of SLP graduate students regarding self-management in aphasia rehabilitation before and after their participation in a training session on the topic, and 2) determine if participants have become more familiar with this concept and if they would consider implementing it in their future practice. Results suggested that participants were more likely to consider implementing self-management in their future practice and were more knowledgeable about this intervention after the training session. Therefore, introducing the concept of self-management to more SLPs can garner their support in building and implementing a formal intervention in their practice.

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