“That mea::n dog”—Linguistic Mischief and Verbal Play as a Communicative Resource in Aphasia

摘要

Taking an interactional approach to the study of discourse, this paper analyzes verbal and nonverbal play of individuals with aphasia and their routine communication partners. In the data (barrier task sessions and community observations), play (e.g., rhyming; slang expressions; speaking in foreign languages; speaking for others; teasing; gestural dispalys) was pervasive, contributed to social and referential functions as well as to the naturalness of communicative interactions, and was collaboratively supported. This research suggests further study of the role of verbal play in clinical interventions as well as in the overall life course of individuals with aphasia and their interlocuters.