Subjective Communication Difficulties in Very Mild Aphasia

Purpose In comparison to the large literature on moderate to severe aphasia, very little is known about aphasia of the mildest severity and whether intervention may be warranted. The purpose of this pilot study was to characterize challenges experienced by people who have recovered to the point that they score normally on aphasia batteries yet report they continue to have aphasia. Method Five people with aphasia who scored above the Western Aphasia Battery-Aphasia Quotient (Kertesz, 2007) cutoff for aphasia participated in a semistructured interview. A descriptive qualitative design was used to analyze subjective descriptions of difficulties in everyday communication situations within a framework for living with aphasia. Results Participants reported salient communication difficulties, reduced social participation, difficulties returning to work, a continual need to concentrate when engaging in language tasks, and a keen awareness of persisting impairments. Conclusion People with very mild aphasia experience salient language difficulties, and these difficulties have an adverse effect on multiple domains of living successfully with aphasia. Further investigation toward better methods of assessment and intervention is warranted.