Reading in aphasia: Supporting engagement in and enjoyment of reading in an aphasia support centre

People with aphasia often experience difficulties with reading. Within the literature, there are a small number of reports of dedicated book clubs for people with aphasia, providing a social activity for individuals to reconnect with reading in a supportive environment. This paper describes an exploratory study investigating how to support people with aphasia's engagement and enjoyment of reading in an aphasia support centre. The study consisted of two phases. In phase 1, a focus group explored people with aphasia's reading and preferences about social reading activities. In phase 2, a novel reading group that reflected the preferences shared within the focus group was offered in the support centre. The focus group revealed individual variability in both pre- and post-stroke reading. People were motivated to read but found it effortful. Participants were interested in a social reading activity but felt a book club was not feasible due to differences in reading preferences, ability, and the effort required to read. The novel reading group was designed to allow individuals to share what they had read at home in a supportive and encouraging environment. The format allowed everyone to engage and participants reported improved reading. This social reading activity encouraged people to read their own reading material rather than a shared book, allowing consideration of personal preference and accommodation of different levels of reading ability. Individuals did not need to read the same reading material to benefit from sharing the experience of reading.