Living with aphasia can be complex. An individual may struggle with their new identity, experience isolation, boredom and depression as memory, social relationships and interaction in society dwindle. Improving an individual’s ability to use their remaining language and learn other methods to communicate will assist them to adjust to their life change. Using visual aids and strategies across various settings will improve speech and language, behaviour, memory and increase an individual’s access to social groups, leisure activities, and work environments.

Aphasia occurs when the language center, found on the left side of the brain, has been damaged by a traumatic brain injury or stroke. It may also develop slowly when an individual acquires a brain tumor, dementia or an infection. It affects an individual’s speech and language making it difficult to express (expressive aphasia), understands others (receptive aphasia), read or write. The severity of the impact and classification depends on how much damage has occurred in the brain. It does not affect intelligence.

Broca’s aphasia also referred to as non-fluent aphasia or motor aphasia, affects an individual ability to speak in complete sentences or recall words. Often the individual will pause frequently or speak in broken phrases.

Wernicke’s aphasia or sensory aphasia can be very frustrating. An individual will speak in sentences using correct grammar, but have little meaning in what they are trying to convey. They may be unaware that they are speaking gibberish with invented words and long drawn sentences which cannot be understood resulting in easily becoming angered.

I have been working with people who have aphasia for over 20 years. I see AAC as a way to bridge the gap between where the person with aphasia is and where that person wants to be. – Dr. Kristy Weissling-Assistant Professor of Practice Barkley Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic

Speaking can be hard work! Provide general encouragement to motivate the person to continue trying to communicate their message, or let them rest and come back to the idea another time.  When communicating with an individual who has Aphasia remember to:

Just give it a second or two. With a bit of extra time, the word may pop out on its own. Be patient with yourself, and ask your partner to give you time.

Give the listener information about what the thing looks like or does. Any extra information can help them know what you’re talking about or help you say the word.

See if you can think of something related. Even if it’s not quite right, it may prompt the word or convey the meaning.

Think of a word that means the same or something similar.

Try to write or think of the first letter of the word. Scan the alphabet to see if each letter triggers anything for you.

Use your hands or body to act out the word, like playing a game of charades.

Sketch out a quick picture of what you’re trying to say.

Think if there’s somewhere the word is written down or pictured.

Give the general topic or category. Stating the topic can help your listener predict what you might be trying to say by providing some context.

If you can’t think of the word and your partner can’t guess, it’s okay to give up for now. This is the last resort, so try other strategies first.

There are a variety of disorders of communication that may be due to paralysis, weakness, incoordination of the speech musculature or to cognitive impairment. Such impairment may accompany aphasia or occur independently and be confused with aphasia. It is important to distinguish these disorders from aphasia because the treatment(s) and prognosis of each disorder are different.

A collective term used to describe impairment in carrying out purposeful movements. People with severe aphasia are usually extremely limited in explaining themselves by pantomime or gesture, except for expressions of emotion. Commonly they will show you something in their wallet, or lead you to show you something, but this is the extent of their non-verbal communication. Specific examination usually shows that they are unable to perform common expressive gestures on request, such as waving goodbye, beckoning, saluting, or to pantomime drinking, brushing teeth, etc. (limb apraxia). Apraxia may also primarily affect oral, non-speech movements, like pretending to cough or blow out a candle (facial apraxia).

This disorder may even extend to the inability to manipulate real objects. More often, however, apraxia is not very apparent unless one asks the patient to perform or imitate a pretended action. For this reason, it is almost never presented as a complaint by the patient or the family. Nevertheless, it may underlie the very limited ability of people with aphasia to compensate for the speech impairment by using informative gestures.

Frequently used by speech pathologists to designate an impairment in the voluntary production of articulation and prosody (the rhythm and timing) of speech. It is characterized by highly inconsistent errors.

Refers to a group of speech disorders resulting from weakness, slowness, or incoordination of the speech mechanism due to damage to any of a variety of points in the nervous system. Dysarthria may involve disorders to some or all of the basic speech processes: respiration phonation, resonance, articulation, and prosody. Dysarthria is a disorder of speech production, not language (i.e. use of vocabulary and/or grammar). Unlike apraxia of speech, the speech errors that occur in dysarthria are highly consistent.

Refers to those who have difficulty swallowing and may experience pain while swallowing. Some people may be completely unable to swallow or may have trouble swallowing liquids, foods, or saliva. Eating then becomes a challenge. Often, dysphagia makes it difficult to take in enough calories and fluids to nourish the body. (Definition from National Institute of Deafness & Other Communication Disorders.

A condition of impairment of memory, intellect, personality, and insight resulting from brain injury or disease. Some forms of dementia are progressive, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Picks disease, or some forms of Parkinson’s disease. Language impairments are more or less prominent in different forms of dementia, but these are usually overshadowed by a more widespread intellectual loss. Since dementia is so often a progressive disorder, the prognosis is quite different from aphasia.

RELATED LINKS:

aphasia.com
aphasia.org
ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tbi
praacticalaac.org

Are you supporting an individual or loved one with Aphasia?  What is your greatest challenge? Leave me a comment here, and join the conversation on Facebook where I asked, “The greatest challenge I face with supporting an individual with Aphasia is_____________.”

Contact Vizually Speaking today to learn how Visual Aids and Strategies for Healthcare Professionals/Frontline Workers can decrease the undesired behaviour(s), improve communication, promote independence and increase self-confidence. Through our dynamic presentation you will:

✓  Uncover the importance of using Visual Aids and Strategies.

✓  Discover the benefits of Visual Aids and Strategies.

✓  Learn how to overcome communication barriers.

✓ Promote independence and decrease undesired behaviours.

✓  Be introduced to NEW resources.

Vizually Speaking understands that finding time in today’s high demanding world to create visual aids and strategies can be a great challenge. Vizually Speaking is committed to collaboratively work together providing a step by step support, assisting in the development and implementation of individualized visual aids and strategies. For a FREE consultation contact us today.