UNDERSTANDING STROKE &APHASIA
Aphasia is a language disorder that affects the ability to communicate. It’s most often caused by strokes that occur in areas of the brain that control speech and language. What are the effects of aphasia? Aphasia does not affect intelligence. Stroke survivors remain mentally alert, even though their speech may be jumbled, fragmented or impossible to understand. Some survivors continue to have: • Trouble speaking, like “getting the words out” • Trouble finding words • Problems understanding what others say • Problems with reading, writing or math • Inability to process long words and infrequently used words How does it feel to have aphasia? People with aphasia are often frustrated and confused because they can’t speak as well or understand things the way they did before their stroke.Theymayactdifferentlybecauseofchanges in theirbrain. Imagine lookingat theheadlinesof the morningnewspaperandnotbeingable to recognize the words. Or think about trying to say “put the car in the garage” and it comes out “put the train in the house” or “widdle tee car ungsender plissen.” Thousands of alert, intelligent men and women are suddenly plunged into a world of jumbled communication because of aphasia. Are there different types of aphasia? Yes, there are several forms of aphasia. They
include: • Global aphasia: People with this aphasia may be completely unable to speak, name objects, repeat phrases or follow commands. • Broca’s aphasia: The person knows what they want to say, but can’t find the right words (can’t get the words out). • Wernicke’s aphasia: A person with this aphasia canseldomunderstandwhat’sbeingsaidorcontrol what they’re saying. How can family and friends help? The stroke survivor and their family members will need the help and support of a doctor, counselor and speech pathologist. It’s a good idea for family and friends to: • Be open about the problem so people can understand. • Always assume that the stroke survivor can hear.Checkunderstandingwithyes/noquestions. •Setupadaily routine for thepersonwithaphasia that includes rest and time to practice skills. • Use sentences that are short and to the point. • Keep the noise level down and stand where the survivor can see you. • Remember to treat the stroke survivor as an adult and let him or her share in decision-making. No one likes to be ignored. Include the survivor in your conversation. • Help the stroke survivor cope with feelings of frustration and depression. • Be patient with the person with aphasia. Give
them the time they need to try to speak and get their point across to you. This not only respects their dignity, but makes it less stressful for them when communicating. HOW CAN I LEARN MORE? 1. Call 1-888-4-STROKE (1-888-478-7653) to learnmoreaboutstrokeorfind localsupportgroups, or visit StrokeAssociation.org. 2. Sign up to get Stroke Connection magazine, a free magazine for stroke survivors and caregivers at strokeconnection.org. 3. Connect with others sharing similar journeys with stroke by joining our Support Network at strokeassociation.org/supportnetwork.
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