Clinician Perspectives of an Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program

Background: Intensive comprehensive aphasia programs (ICAPs) have increased in number in recent years in the United States and abroad. Objective: To describe the experiences of clinicians working in an ICAP. Methods: A phenomenological approach was taken. Seven clinicians from 3 ICAPs were interviewed in person or on the phone. Their interviews were transcribed and coded for themes relating to their experiences. Results: Clinicians described 3 major themes. The first theme related to the intensity component of the ICAP that allowed clinicians to provide in-depth treatment and gave them a different perspective with regard to providing treatment and the potential impact on the person with aphasia. The second theme of rewards for the clinicians included learning and support, seeing progress, and developing relationships with their clients and family members. Third, challenges were noted, including the time involved in learning new therapy techniques, patient characteristics such as chronicity of the aphasia, and the difficulty of returning to work in typical clinical settings after having experienced an ICAP. Conclusions: Although there is a potential for bias with the small sample size, this pilot study gives insight into the clinician perspective of what makes working in an ICAP both worthwhile and challenging.