"I felt really confident to enter the session": a pilot evaluation of a co-designed speech pathologist and interpreter collaboration tool for aphasia therapy.

Abstract

There is a growing need for speech pathologists to provide aphasia therapy to clients with whom they do not share a language or culture. This requires collaboration with interpreters. This study aimed to evaluate the co-designed La Trobe University Aphasia therapy Collaboration Tool for Speech Pathologists and Interpreters to determine if it can support their interactions to adapt and deliver aphasia therapy. Four speech pathologists and four interpreters from a range of language backgrounds, experience levels, workplaces, and genders were recruited. Participants were divided into four dyads involving one speech pathologist and one interpreter. Each dyad engaged in a one-hour, online workshop during which participants role-played a pre-briefing session for an aphasia therapy case study, applying the tool as guidance. Participants were interviewed about their use of the tool. The data were analysed using Framework Analysis. Four themes were identified: 1) mutual engagement promotes active and productive collaboration, 2) engaging in adaptation can be complex and requires additional skills and resources, 3) time is a limited resource, and 4) the tool has multiple benefits. The tool can support speech pathologists and interpreters collaborating to deliver aphasia therapy. Further refinement would enhance the tool's useability and impact.