Year of Award

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Name

Speech-Language Pathology

Department or School/College

SLHOS

Committee Chair

Dr. Jenna Musick

Committee Co-chair

Dr. Catherine Off

Commitee Members

Dr. Jenna Musick; Dr. Catherine Off; Dr. Victoria Dreitz; Sarah Conkle CCC-SLP

Keywords

people with aphasia (PWA), community aphasia group (CAG), intensive comprehensive aphasia program (ICAP), aphasia

Subject Categories

Communication Sciences and Disorders | Speech and Hearing Science | Speech Pathology and Audiology

Abstract

Introduction: People with aphasia (PWA) experience chronic communication deficits that impact daily life. Community Aphasia Groups (CAGs) are commonly used to address these challenges and have demonstrated psychosocial and communicative benefits; however, they lack standardized structure and are implemented with variability across settings. Additionally, much of the existing research focuses on group-level outcomes rather than participant-driven priorities, limiting clinicians’ ability to tailor interventions. This study examined what PWA want from CAG participation and how these priorities may change over time.

Methods: This quantitative study investigated priority changes among PWA participating in a CAG within a summer 2025 Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program (ICAP) (n = 7). The primary research question of this study was: “To what extent do the priority rankings of PWA change over time following participation in a CAG?” Participants completed the CAG Priority Questionnaire at two time points, which included an open-ended question and ranking/rating tasks across four priorities: quality of life and wellbeing, communication skills and strategies, community engagement, and friendship/belonging/support. Descriptive statistics, a weighted scoring model, pairedsamples analyses, and Cohen’s d were used to examine changes over time at both the group and individual level.

Results: No statistically significant group-level changes were observed (p > .05), with small effect sizes (d = -0.26 to 0.17) and minimal change in mean weighted scores. However, individual-level analyses revealed variability in both direction and magnitude of change, suggesting meaningful shifts for some participants.

Discussion: Findings highlight the importance of flexible, person-centered approaches to CAG implementation. While group-level priorities remained stable, individual variability highlights the need for clinicians to continuously assess and align interventions with evolving participant goals.

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© Copyright 2026 McKinlee A. Mihelish