Managing Participation in Aphasic Family Conversations

This paper focuses on some aspects of participation in aphasic family conversations. It is based on authentic conversations in 5 families, video recorded at their homes within one and a half years from the time of onset of aphasia. These data were analyzed using Conversation Analysis. The collaborative structures of participation observed, such as assistance, teamtalk, duetting, moderating and coaching, where conversational partners with normal speech engage in supporting the person with aphasia (PWA's) projects, are adaptive strategies simultaneously - aiming at communicative success and the inclusion of the PWA. However, in contrast to the - normal conversational model of participation, collaborating participants have to find a balance between assuring participation of the aphasic partner in the conversation, achieving interactional success despite aphasia, and avoid face loss associated with paternalism. Conversations are a basic and pervasive format of participation, eminently significant in a life with aphasia. Detailed knowledge of the options and constraints of the management of participation in aphasic conversation is a prerequisite of therapy that focuses on conversation and communication partnerships.