Iranian Speech Therapists’ Experiences of Barriers and Facilitators to Aphasia Therapy: A Qualitative Study Publisher

Summary: What hinders aphasia rehabilitation in Iran? Interviews with speech therapists highlighted family support, motivation, access barriers and therapist expertise. #Aphasia #Rehabilitation

Poursaeid Z ; Mohsenpour M ; Ghasisin L
Source: Iranian Rehabilitation Journal Published:2026

Abstract

Objectives: Aphasia profoundly affects the lives of people with aphasia (PWA) and their families, creating significant and enduring challenges. Despite the rising prevalence of aphasia in Iran, there is a notable lack of information regarding the quality of speech therapy services available for PWA. This study seeks to investigate the barriers and facilitators that impact speech therapy services for PWA, as perceived by Iranian speech therapists. Methods: In this study, 20 speech therapists specializing in aphasia participated in semi-structured individual interviews to gather data. The data analysis was conducted using Burnard's method. Results: Barriers and facilitators influencing speech therapy services, as experienced by speech therapists, were classified into 5 main categories and 13 subcategories. The categories include factors associated with the speech therapist, the client and their family, the treatment location, the client's attendance at the treatment site, and the community. Notably, factors pertaining to the speech therapist, the client, and their family were addressed by all participants. Discussion: PWA, their families, and speech therapists all played crucial roles in delivering effective speech therapy services. Two interrelated factors that influence treatment outcomes are the severity of the disorder and the motivation for therapy among PWAs. Generally, motivated PWAs and their families, combined with their active participation in the speech therapy process and the specialized knowledge of speech therapists, can significantly enhance treatment success. Copyright © 2026 The Author(s); This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-By-NC: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode.en), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.