Hi everyone! Today’s the launch day for my next functional labor of love!

I’m excited to finally be sharing my Conversation Partner Training Packet (Printables + “How-To” using evidence to train Conversation Partners for aphasia in real life situations).

For persons with aphasia, quality practice with training communication partners is vital for person-centered care and a better outcome for everyday communication and interactions. Let’s set our patients and families up for success at home by using evidence-based techniques and in-context practice. Drilling animal names or opposites doesn’t automatically lead to better conversations. Neither does playing Taboo! 

Why haven’t we done a better job at practicing real conversations in the past in speech therapy? Well, for one it’s a little messy and unpredictable. It’s much easier to score a worksheet than “score” a conversation that you don’t have pre-scripted. Thankfully, we DO have evidence-based ways to set-up these interactions which not only help us “score” for therapy, but ultimately help our patients with interactions in their everyday life! I highly suggest using these techniques with the person’s real life communication partner in therapy, so that carryover can start happening right away.

The Conversation Partner Training Packet combines these evidence-based practices WITH conversation prompts and ideas for more natural conversation interaction. Each conversation you have in therapy will differ because each patient and communication partner is different!

This 2-part download totals 41 pages including:

-Research summary and references for evidence-based conversation training techniques including Promoting Aphasics’ Communicative Abilities (PACE), Conversational Coaching, and Reciprocal Scaffolding

-How-To, In-session Form, Goal Samples, Documentation Samples, Strategy Examples and ALL MATERIALS you need to start using these techniques in therapy immediately

-20+ Conversation Prompts and Messages (most with up to 5 components for difficulty scaling) that can be used to practice (or adapted!) to meet the Real Life conversation practice needs for your patients!

-15 pages of color photo scenes meant to spark conversation (no boring furniture pictures here!)

You want the Conversation Partner Training Packet in your toolbox so you can start having meaningful conversations in therapy today! All goal and documentation samples are included so you can just copy and paste.

My next few blog posts will share key research articles focusing on the need to practice communication in context–not drill. Sign up below to receive these updates right in your inbox!