Texting Behaviors of Individuals With Chronic Aphasia: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

Purpose In today's digital world, text messaging is one of the most widely used ways that people stay connected. Although it is reported that people with aphasia experience difficulties with texting, little information is available about how they actually do text. This study reports texting behaviors, such as the number and type of messages sent and contacts individuals with aphasia have. The relationships between texting behaviors and aphasia severity, including writing impairments, and social connectedness are explored. Method Twenty participants were sampled from an ongoing randomized clinical trial investigating an electronic writing treatment for aphasia (Clinical Trials Identifier: NCT03773419). Participants provided consent for researchers to view and analyze texts sent and received over a 7-day period immediately prior to the assessment. Participants' text messages were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded. Results Over the 7-day period, the number of contacts with whom participants texted ranged from one to 18. The mean number of text messages exchanged was 40.3 ( SD = 48.24), with participants sending an average of 15.4 ( SD = 23.45) texts and receiving an average of 24.9 ( SD = 29.44) texts. Participants varied in the types of texts sent; some had a larger proportion of initiated texts, while others drafted more responses, either simple or elaborative in nature. There was no correlation between the total number of texting exchanges and the Western Aphasia Battery–Revised Aphasia Quotient ( r s = .13, p = . 29) or the Western Aphasia Battery–Revised Writing subtest ( r s = .05, p = .42). There was also no correlation between the total number of texting exchanges and scores on measures of social connectedness. Conclusions Texting behaviors of individuals with aphasia are widely variable. Demographics, severity of aphasia and writing, and social connectedness may not predict texting behaviors. Therefore, it is clinically important to explore the unique texting abilities and preferences of each individual to meet their communication and social participation goals. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.14669664

Written discourse in diagnosis for acquired neurogenic communication disorders: current evidence and future directions

“…Now that text messaging is a common communication modality and can increase communication opportunities in those with acquired neurogenic communication disorders, it may be necessary to assess texting behaviors to capture the full range and multifaceted nature of functional communication abilities in assessment. This work is only beginning to appear in the literature and will be important for the future of writing research ( Kinsey et al, 2022 ; Lee and Cherney, 2022 ).…”

Introduction to the 2020 Clinical Aphasiology Conference Forum

“…The final theme of the forum is innovation and new directions in the field. Kinsey et al (2021) expand the description of written language abilities in aphasia to texting behavior. Sherrill and Hengst (2021) explore the role of animal-assisted therapy for creating rich communicative environments and targeted communication goals in subacute rehabilitation.…”