"Jag ska säga så här, att jag vet nog ganska lite om afasi" : En kvalitativ intervjustudie gällande kunskap om afasi bland tjänstemän.

An acquired brain injury can cause a variety of conditions and impairments. Aphasia affects linguistic functions in the brain to different extent and degree, which entails negative impact on social interactions with the surrounding environment. Adjusting the ways of communicating can facilitate conversation and informational exchange. Previous studies have shown that knowledge about aphasia lacks among the public and care givers. Persons with aphasia are likely to interact with officials within the support system. These professionals with various education will partake in assessments and decisions that will have significant impact on persons with aphasia and their families. It is essential that officials have sufficient knowledge of the diverse individual needs in order to provide adequate support. According to governmental laws and regulations, officials should offer communicational support regardless of the service or support they provide. The literature suggests that knowledge about aphasia is also lacking among officials. Since there is little or no research on the subject, motivation was given for the study at hand. A qualitative study was conducted on six informants, all professionals who offer different kinds of service and support, at various levels and within different fields of the support system. The results implied that their knowledge about aphasia was insufficient on all accounts, except for awareness of psychosocial consequences. Four out of six informants had lacking knowledge about communicational support, two had greater understanding of communicational needs and more competence in facilitating strategies. Since respondents were few, this study may primarily serve as a motivation for further research on the subject, and encourage communicational training