Assessments in outcome evaluation in aphasia therapy: Substantiating the claim

Abstract
Outcomes of aphasia therapy in Denmark are documented in evaluation sessions in which both the person with aphasia and the speech-language therapist take part. The participants negotiate agreements on the results of therapy. By means of conversation analysis, we study how such agreements on therapy outcome are reached interactionally. The sequential analysis of 34 video recordings focuses on a recurrent method for reaching agreements in these outcome evaluation sessions. In and through a special sequence of conversational assessment it is claimed that the person with aphasia has certain communicative skills. Such claims are systematically substantiated by invoking examples of the person with aphasia performing this skill either outside or inside the therapeutic setting. Substantiation can be seen as a form of validation of the claim and thereby a basis is set for agreement. The findings suggest that in this type of evaluation the requirements of producing a valid account in which the person with aphasia has been heard are being met.