Toward Self-Regulated Learning in Aphasia Rehabilitation: A Proposed Framework

Active collaboration between speech-language therapists (SLTs) and persons with aphasia (PWA) is essential for personalizing aphasia treatment and optimizing clinical outcomes during aphasia rehabilitation. Studies have demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of collaboration between SLTs and PWA during the goal setting component of the intervention process in aphasia rehabilitation. However, it remains unclear whether this collaboration as well as PWA's feedback can be applied and be beneficial to all components of aphasia rehabilitation. Here we introduce a theoretical framework of self-regulated learning (SRL) for aphasia rehabilitation that spotlights the role of PWA's feedback in all components of the rehabilitation process. We review studies on models of SRL in educational psychology and evidence from clinical aphasiology and neurolinguistics. Based on the evidence, we argue that PWA's feedback is beneficial for optimizing all components of the intervention process in aphasia rehabilitation. To make this work, communicative barriers to collaborative, patient-centered goal setting must be minimized or eliminated to facilitate alternative channels for receiving PWA's feedback which will promote their engagement in aphasia rehabilitation. Also, insights from PWA's feedback can help SLTs to select treatments and tasks that promote PWA's engagement in the intervention process, which, in turn, can maximize aphasia recovery and increase quality of life. PWA can be active participants in the whole intervention process and SLTs can use information from PWA's feedback to improve the personalization of the complete intervention process to maximize clinical outcomes.