Iranian Speech Therapists’ Experiences of Barriers and Facilitators to Aphasia Therapy: A Qualitative Study

Purpose: Aphasia profoundly affects the lives of individuals with aphasia (PWA) and their families, creating significant and enduring challenges. Despite the rising prevalence of aphasia in Iran, there is a notable lack of information regarding the quality of speech therapy services available for PWA in the country. This study seeks to investigate the barriers and facilitators that impact speech therapy services for PWA, as perceived by Iranian speech therapists. Methods: In this study, twenty speech therapists specializing in aphasia participated in semi-structured individual interviews to gather data. The analysis of the data was conducted using Burnard’s method. Results: Barriers and facilitators influencing speech therapy services, as experienced by speech therapists, were classified into five main categories and thirteen subcategories. These categories include factors associated with the speech therapist, the client and their family, the treatment location, the client's attendance at the treatment site, and the community. Notably, factors pertaining to the speech therapist, the client, and their family were addressed by all participants. Conclusion: PWA, their families, and speech therapists all played crucial roles in delivering effective speech therapy services. Two interrelated factors that influence treatment outcomes are the severity of the disorder and the motivation for therapy among PWAs. Generally, motivated PWAs and their families, combined with their active participation in the speech therapy process and the specialized knowledge of speech therapists, can significantly enhance treatment success.

کلیدواژه ها:

Aphasia ، Brain stroke ، Barrier ، Facilitator ، Speech therapy ، PWA