Group Treatment Flashcards
Historical Perspective
Began after WWII
Large number of veterans
Not aphasic but TBI
Fell out of favor in 1960s
Renewed interest in 1990s
Fundamental Considerations
Efficacy:
Together strongly support the conclusion that group therapy is effective.
Group Faciltation Techniques
Bertcher’s Group Techniques:
Starting
Attending
Seeking and giving information
Contract negotiation
Rewarding
Responding to feelings
Focusing
Summarizing
Gatekeeping
Confrontation
Mediating
Modeling
Group Dynamics
The power of aphasia groups
Benefits of group dynamics
Matching individuals
By severity most often
By age, interests if possible
Structure:
90 minutes long
5-10 members (6-8 optimal)
Treatment Goals
Aphasia Center of California:
Member and Family Education
Personal Goals
Conversational practice
Communicative strategies
Conversational initiation
Conversational Cross-talk
Examples of Conversational Initiation:
Facilitator Role to group member
“Passing the ball”
Addressing directly
Request generation of a topic
Peer scaffolding or cueing
Encouraging peer feedback
Peer volunteers
Personalizing the discussion
Increasing Exchange of Information
Graphic attempts or communicative drawing
Graphic choices
Natural gestures
Communicative resources
Weekly activity highlights form
Elman’s Best Betsfor Sparking Conversation with Aphasia Groups
Capitalize on the group’s lead
Beware of preset agendas or themes
Allow the group to inform you
Follow the group’s interests
Encourage peer feedback
Increase member participation
Allow group members to facilitate
Novelty promotes interests
Resources assist participation
Humor enriches and motivates
Outcomes Measurement
Aphasia Group Conversational Competence Rating Scale
Informal Discourse Rating Scale
ASHA FACS behaviors f or social communication
Develop an individual rubric
Examples:
Aphasia Center of California
Aphasia groups in Arizona
Group Therapy in Great Britain
The Pat Arato Aphasia Centre
Adler aphasia Center
Houston Aphasia Recovery
Center (HARC)
Snyder Center for Aphasia Life Enhancement (SCALE)
Other Group Treatment
Right Hemisphere CVA
Traumatic Brain Injury
Motor Speech Disorders:
Dysarthria and Apraxia
