Engagement in small group interactions involving persons with primary progressive aphasia

Purpose: In group therapy, participant engagement is integral for achieving effective and meaningful interactions. Engagement is necessary not only for ensuring participation in the group, but also for promoting overall life engagement. Although engagement is vital to group therapy, it has remained largely unstudied, particularly in treatment for persons with primary progressive aphasia. Methods: Using samples from a videotaped small group interaction involving two graduate student clinicians and two persons with primary progressive aphasia, conversational actions contributing to engagement were identified and analyzed via content analysis and principles of conversation analysis. Results: Conversational actions resulting in engagement included clinician-appointed turns, participant affirmation, and member support. These conversational actions were found to maintain and/or increase wavering levels of participant engagement. Discussion: Findings for the study yielded clinical applications for clinician promotion of engagement during small group interactions involving persons with primary progressive aphasia to increase participant involvement and maximize therapeutic outcomes.