Creating opportunities to communicate and connect in a global pandemic: Exploring the experiences of people with aphasia of an online conversation partner scheme.
Naomi de Graff, Lindsey Thiel
PMID 40167497WHAT IT FOUND
People with aphasia found online conversation partner schemes useful and convenient, allowing them to practice communication and help students.
However, they missed the physical presence of others and felt restricted in expressing their full personalities. A hybrid model offering both online and in-person options was preferred.
Key findings
01Participants valued the online scheme for its convenience and ability to reduce isolation, with some stating they could not have participated in person due to location or mobility issues.
02Despite enjoying the online format, participants felt it lacked a human connection and restricted their ability to express themselves fully compared to face-to-face interactions.
03Participants perceived the scheme as mutually beneficial, gaining a sense of purpose from helping students develop their clinical skills.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The sample size was small (eight participants), which limits the transferability of the findings. All participants were volunteers who had already completed the scheme, likely introducing selection bias toward those who had positive experiences. Demographic and aphasia severity data were limited; specific diagnoses were not recorded, only that participants had mild to severe expressive and mild to moderate receptive difficulties. The study took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, so participants' preferences for online interaction may have been influenced by the context of lockdown and social isolation.
Declared interests
The project was funded by Leeds Beckett University. The authors reported no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume online conversation partner schemes are superior or equally effective for all clients. This study only reports the experiences of eight people who chose to participate in an online scheme during a pandemic, and many of them explicitly stated that the online format lacked the human connection and expressive freedom of face-to-face interaction.