Game-Based Group Therapy for People With Aphasia: A Feasibility Study

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of a game-based group therapy for people with aphasia (PWA). Method: Ten PWA, divided into two equal groups, participated in the study. Each group participated in 8 weeks of game-based therapy using games from Aphasia Games for Health. Feasibility was evaluated through facilitator notes and session attendance (adherence). Acceptability was evaluated through a satisfaction survey conducted at the end of therapy. As an exploratory analysis, quality of life and language scores were also measured to evaluate the potential for change. Results: Game-based therapy was easy to implement in an online group setting. Adherence and satisfaction were high. Quality of life and language scores did not change significantly from pre- to posttreatment. However, responses on the satisfaction survey suggested increased communicative confidence. Conclusion: Overall, game-based therapy was feasible, was well received by the participants, and has the potential to be an effective form of therapy for future use by speech-language pathologists.