Social communication and communication partner training

Social communication impairment affects a significant proportion of people after acquired brain injury, with wide-ranging impact on their closest relationships, activity and participation long term. Difficulties include potential impairments in linguistic and metalinguistic skills, leading to reduced comprehension and integration of information about others’ intentions and meaning, and/or with expressing oneself effectively with these elements, and being socially successful. This chapter discusses the different elements of social communication and right-hemisphere language impairments, with recommendations for effective assessment. It also introduces Conversation Partner Training as a key therapy for achieving progress with this group and for their social network. Communication Partner Training (CPT) is skills-based communication training for the individual and key other(s) facilitating enjoyment and success in conversation together. It centres on interaction between people as they talk, and the joint problem-solving required when one person has communication impairment. CPT enables SLTs to work systemically, identifying goals both for the service user and for their communication partner(s). This chapter presents the extensive evidence on using this approach with people with brain injury, acknowledging the therapeutic support, skill and time necessitated to support behavioural change. It provides SLTs with a clear outline of how to complete this work together with practical tools to assist with planning and measuring outcomes.