Logopeders bedömning av funktionell kommunikation hos personer med afasi
En enkätstudie riktad till logopeder i Sverige
AphasiaFunctional communicationAssessment methodsQuestionnaire surveyAfasiFunktionell kommunikationBedömningsmetoderEnkät
There are several different methods of assessment of functional communication in individuals with aphasia. However, these are not very established in Sweden. A number of assessment methods are not translated and adapted to Swedish. The views about what functional communication means are scattered. The purpose of this study was to, with the help of a questionnaire survey, identify how Swedish speech and language therapists assess functional communication, to what extent and what they want that an assessment method should contain to be clinically useful.The study involved 54 clinically active speech and language therapists in the area of aphasia. Participants felt that it was important to assess functional communication. Assessment was commonly used but with different methods. The most common way of assessment was that the speech and language therapists assessed the functional communication through dialogue and observation. It was less claimed to use only structured and published assessment materials.The speech and language therapists in the study considered it important that the results from an assessment method should be comparable over time to be clinically useful. An increased knowledge and dissemination of assessment materials for functional communication might increase the use. There is a need for new Swedish assessment material and/or translations of existing material regarding functionell communication. Another aspect that is important for a more thorough assessment of functional communication is the lack of time as many speech and language therapists where experiencing.