Aphasia and Stroke
Progress, Patience, and Recovery
What is Aphasia
Aphasia is a language disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate. It usually occurs after brain damage, most commonly due to a stroke, brain injury, or other neurological conditions like a brain tumor or infection. Aphasia can impact speaking, understanding speech, reading, and writing.
Common speaking changes include:
- Word-finding difficulties (anomia)
- Speaking in short, fragmented sentences
- Using made-up words (neologisms)
- Speaking fluently but without meaning (jargon)
- Substituting incorrect sounds or words (e.g., “dat” instead of “hat” (paraphasia)
Additional Stroke Symptoms Ohio Neuro treats:
Dysarthria
- Damage or dysfunction in the muscles or nerves that control speech
- Slurred, slowed or mumbled speech
- Monotone speech
- Difficulty controlling volume
- Slow or imprecise articulation
- Excessive saliva production or difficulty swallowing
- Changes in vocal quality (e.g., hoarseness, breathiness, nasal speech)
Apraxia of Speech
- A stroke that affects the motor planning areas
- Inconsistent speech errors
- Groping movements
- Pauses or hesitation before speaking
- Slow and effortful speech
- Often aware of their speech difficulties
- Difficulty with articulation adjustments
- Distorting vowels or consonants, or omitting or adding sounds
Cognitive-Communication Deficits
- Memory loss
- Difficulty staying on topic
- Concentration and attention deficts
- Reduced social awareness in conversation
- Struggles with problem-solving and organizing thoughts
- Challenges with higher-level cognitive processes like goal setting, decision-making, and managing complex tasks
- Difficulty recognizing or acknowledging cognitive deficits
Voice Changes
- Weak or breathy voice
- Monotone speech
- Changes in vocal quality, pitch, or loudness
It’s never too late to make progress and improve upon these symptoms. Through methods like structured language exercises, communication strategies, cognitive-linguistic tasks, or use of augmentative tools (to name a few), our goal is to support recovery by restoring communication skills, compensating for impairments, and maximizing independence in daily life.
If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms Ohio Neuro Speech Therapy can help. We work collaboratively with clients, families, and other healthcare providers to ensure an inclusive and evidence-based rehabilitation process.
