Family and Clinician Perceptions of Pragmatic Communication Skills Following Right Hemisphere Stroke

Abstract

Pragmatic communication abilities are frequently impaired in persons who have had a right hemisphere stroke. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) often use rating scales to judge the appropriateness of pragmatic communication behaviors observed during their treatment sessions with patients. At the same time, families are able to rate the degree to which a stroke has changed pragmatic communication behaviors. In comparing these two perspectives, this study found that the degree of agreement between clinicians and family members as to the existence/appropriateness of pragmatic communication behaviors varied widely across behaviors and, overall, was not robust. SLPs were likely to rate behaviors as inappropriate that family members reported had not changed.