title: Exploring speech-language pathologists' perspectives about living successfully with aphasia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Exploring the concept of living successfully with aphasia challenges researchers and clinicians to identify positive rather than negative adaptive processes and factors that may inform clinical interventions and other community-based services for people with aphasia. Previous research on this topic has focused on the perspectives of individuals with aphasia, and identified a number of core components of living successfully with aphasia, including doing things, meaningful relationships, striving for a positive way of living, and communication. As service providers, speech-language pathologists may also contribute valuable insights regarding components of living successfully with aphasia and factors influencing individuals' abilities to achieve this goal.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This research aimed to explore speech-language pathologists' perspectives about the meaning of living successfully with aphasia, and factors they perceive to influence individuals' abilities to live successfully with aphasia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five speech-language pathologists from around Australia participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews on the topic of living successfully with aphasia. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis to identify themes of relevance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Through the analysis of speech-language pathologist participant transcripts, the following themes emerged as components of living successfully with aphasia: participation and community engagement; communication; meaningful relationships; autonomy or independence; acceptance and embracement of aphasia; self-esteem; happiness; and purpose or meaningfulness. A wide variety of factors were perceived to influence individuals' abilities to live successfully with aphasia. These included support, acceptance, and understanding; personal factors; and speech-language pathology services.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further research is required to extend findings by investigating how speech-language pathologists address identified themes in clinical practice. To improve service provision, continued reflection by speech-language pathologists on how services provided align with client's values and priorities is a necessity. A commitment by speech-language pathologists to work in partnership with people with aphasia and their families and friends to achieve successful living with aphasia is one way to translate this research into practice.
authors.affiliation: Communication Disability Centre and Division of Speech Pathology, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. k.brown1@uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Kyla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Worrall
authors.forename: Bronwyn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Tami
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Howe
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001037:Aphasia / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends; D006240:Happiness; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D008297:Male; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D012919:Social Behavior; D013066:Speech-Language Pathology