Peer-led Hub-and-Spoke Community Aphasia Groups

We tested a new way to run community aphasia groups.
People from the community were trained and then led the groups.
They had support from speech pathologists and other health professionals.
People with aphasia said the groups:

helped them connect with others,
feel more confident, and
practise communication.

The groups worked well, but family members wanted more support too.

Community Aphasia Groups support long-term communication and social connection after stroke.
However, many groups close because they rely heavily on speech pathologists and ongoing funding.
Peer-led models may help groups run for longer and reach more people.

What we did
We developed a model, where a small clinical "hub" provides guidance and occasional input to trained community members with and without aphasia to lead groups locally.

We piloted two 12-week community aphasia groups using this model. Groups met weekly and some close others attended selected sessions. We collected communication outcomes and interviewed participants, facilitators, and close others to understand how the program worked and how it was experienced.

What we found

The program was feasible and acceptable to people with aphasia, volunteers, and clinicians.
Several participants showed meaningful improvements in communication-related quality of life and functional communication.
Participants described increased confidence, purpose, social connection, and expanded roles within the groups.
Close others valued the program but wanted more sessions focused on their own experiences and support needs.

What next?
We are running a phase II pilot trial in Victoria, Australia. We've compared the peer-led groups to a control group. Results are currently being analysed!

Papers
Acceptability, feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the Peer-led Hub-and-Spoke Community Aphasia Group program.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2024.2410766

Building community through engagement in a Hub-and-Spoke, Peer-led Community Aphasia Group program: the perspectives of participants with aphasia and their close others.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2025.2583075

Groups run by people with aphasia, supported by clinicians

Lucette Lanyon, Ciara Shiggins, Cassie Wilcox, John E. Pierce, Dana Wong, Michelle Attard, Marcella Carragher, Patricia Fenner & Miranda Rose