Life Participation Approach to Aphasia: Procedures for Clinical Application

It is well-known that individuals with aphasia prefer goals related to participating in life and treatment tailored to their interests. They wish to improve communication for participation in their social life, work, leisure, and altruism. An understanding of these life participation preferences requires client and caregiver involvement in treatment planning. Collaborative goal setting and use of personally relevant treatment tasks increase the client’s confidence and participation in previously enjoyed activities. This relates to the life participation approach to aphasia (LPAA) which focuses on reengagement in life beginning from the ED visit, after hospital discharge, until the consumer no longer elects to have communication support. However, speech-language pathologists find it difficult to implement and measure life participation. During this presentation, we will explore specific components of LPAA, collaborative goal setting, and practical application of LPAA with real-life examples.