The Chippewa Valley Aphasia Group is a Therapy group for people with chronic aphasia and their spouses. Therapeutic activities are provided by Speech-language pathologists, student and community volunteers but directed by the interests and choices of our group members. Our group is guided by 4 principles: making personal activity Choices, engaging in communication Practice, learning and helping others Understand Aphasia, and developing Confidence in living with aphasia. Our group sessions include some structured language practice. But our major emphasis is meaningful, enjoyable conversation with all members.
During the past year and a half our group has focused on the topic of making personal activity choices. Staff and group members have had many discussions regarding what choices are possible for people living with aphasia. Our group has searched for resources on personal health and provided information regarding exercise and healthy eating. We have identified opportunities for personal experience in local dining, theatre, and music. Interestingly, exploring these themes of community interest brought opportunity for realistic problem solving and language practice.
Members of our group have indicated strong motivation to have better access to written materials. We have discussed the neurological benefits of reading as well as the personal enjoyment of ‘experiencing’ a story as only reading can provide. Each group member experiences unique challenges with reading. Some benefit from larger print, some need to read in a quiet environment, some must frequently review the text, and others need to take brief notes. Many have indicated that the ‘ideal’ way to read is to see and hear the text at the same time. We have used Text-to-Speech software with some group members but computer hardware, cost and the complexity of using the software were frequent barriers to “aphasia-friendly” access.
We discussed the Kindle 2 during the “Checking-In” section of our group meetings. Our group was very interested in the advertised ease of operation and most importantly the Text–to-Speech feature. CVAG group members have a long history of being “bold” in their willingness to venture into new territory. The cost, however, of the Kindle seemed to our group members like an insurmountable barrier. In our next story we will describe how our interest prompted us to begin collecting donations to purchase a Kindle 2. In the near future we will describe our experiences with the Kindle 2.
Future Articles:
- The Kindle Collection
- Action Plans and Gifts
- Kindle Test Drive
- The Kindle Experience – one person’s activity Learning to use and enjoy the Kindle
- The Kindle Evaluation by the CVAG
- The Surprise of Browsing
- Kindle Consultation
- Kindle Costs
