The development, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of an online aphasia group intervention – TeleGAIN

Abstract

Russell, and Doctor Hill. There are few who can say that they have been guided by the international experts and pioneers in their field. Deb, thank you for encouraging my independence and honing my ability to think about all possible outcomes. Trev, your technical expertise and quiet leadership were invaluable. Annie, your unwavering encouragement has motivated me time and time again when it all seemed impossible. I must also gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Australian Stroke Foundation that made this research possible and allowed me to extend this intervention to people with aphasia across the country. I was also supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship throughout which made this commitment financially possible for our family. To the participants with aphasia and their communication partners, I thank you. You are truly an inspiration. You shared your stories, your lives and your homes with me. You persisted when the technology was challenging, brought your best self to the group every week, and worked with me to further this area of research with so much passion and commitment. You kept me motivated, you gave me purpose, and you taught me so much about appreciating life, valuing friendship, and never giving up. A big thanks must also go to my colleagues within the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Your faith in me, passion for research, and advice kept me focused and inspired. xiv Without an amazing support network of friends and family over the years, the ups and downs of completing this project would have overwhelmed. You all encouraged me, believed in me and cheered me on until the very end. A special thank you from the bottom of my heart to my dear friend Brooke. Without you, this thesis simply would not be. You have been my mentor, my counsellor, my inspiration, my cook, my coach, my cheer-squad, my babysitter, my sounding board, and above all, my very best friend. I am beyond blessed to have you in my life. I am so glad you stalked me back in second year uni. To my biggest fan, Mum, thank you for always believing in me, encouraging me, and supporting me throughout this PhD and always. Thank you for being there for me and the boys, on the good days and the bad, and often at a moment's notice. You have been my rock. To my husband, Trenton, I bet you're glad "my PhD" is over. This journey has been long, the road has been bumpy, and at times we both thought I would never be at the end. But here it is-still with you by my side, holding my hand, cheering me on, and making me laugh. To quote our song "it's just you and me and all of the people, with nothing to do and nothing to prove". Finally, this thesis is dedicated to my beautiful boys-Oliver, Samuel, Theodore and Macarthur. You are my joy, my light, and my life. I hope that all of this will be worth it, and you will see that with hard work, perseverance, late nights, and the love of your family, all things are possible.