Aphasia Conversation Groups

MnCAN Aphasia Conversation Groups

The overall focus of MnCAN aphasia conversation groups is to encourage and support people with aphasia by forming connections and building communication confidence in a safe environment with others who truly understand aphasia. MnCAN aphasia conversation groups provide social support and access to community involvement for people with aphasia. Participants can relate to each other and support one another because they are all living with aphasia.

Conversation Groups Meet Weekly

Meeting Sessions

  • Fall and Winter sessions meet for 12 weeks.
  • Summer session meets for 8 weeks.

Meeting Time

  • Each group meets for 90 minutes on the same day and time each week.

Meeting Location

  • Group meetings are either virtual or in-person; we do not offer hybrid groups (i.e., cannot join an in-person meeting virtually).
  • In-person groups meet in community spaces in the Twin Cities area; MnCAN does not have an office location for meetings. 

MnCAN Conversation Group Meeting Locations

Map of the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro area showing locations of MnCAN groups with yellow star markers. Single stars appear in Plymouth, Glencoe, Victoria, and Apple Valley. Double stars appear in Roseville, St. Paul, and Edina.

Each star represents one group meeting location.
Locations with one star host one group: Plymouth, Glencoe, Victoria, and Apple Valley.
Locations with two stars host two groups: Roseville, St. Paul, and Edina.

Additional Information

  • The groups consist of the same 6-7 people with aphasia joining each week, which provides an opportunity to really connect.
  • Conversation groups are facilitated by speech-language pathologists, with support from trained volunteers and/or graduate students in speech-language pathology.
  • Tuition is due with registration. Financial support is available. Tuition for the 12-week sessions is $240; for an 8-week session, it is $160 as of February 2025.
  • Space is limited for the conversation groups to allow maximum communication practice in a small group environment.
  • Conversational topics can include: weather, current events, travel, memories and many more. Each group is unique, with topics guided by its participants.
  • Close friendships develop, everyone supports each other, and ultimately, the person with aphasia builds communication confidence.

MnCAN groups are founded on three approaches to aphasia care:

 

  1. The Life Participation Approach to Aphasia(LPAA Project Group, 2009) has a primary goal to enhance life participation and is based on what is important to each individual person. To learn more, Visit AshaWire’s Life Participation Approach to Aphasia.
  2. The Supported Conversation Approach(SCA) (Kagan, Black, Duchan, Simmons-Mackie, Square, 2001) ensures the accurate exchange of information, opinions and feelings. SCA encourages each person to do “whatever works” to help communication. Communication can involve speech, drawing, writing, gesturing, and technology. The goal is for the person with aphasia to feel supported and to acknowledge their competence. To learn more, Visit Communicative Access & Supported Conversation for Adults With Aphasia.
  3. Social modelof communication focuses on natural interaction with others. Communication is designed for social interaction and the transaction of messages; communication is flexible and dynamic.

Conversation Group Sessions

Events

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Join a Program

For questions or registration information, call us at 612-524-8802.

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