Stroke Insights and Answers > Speech Recovery and Aphasia

It’s common to experience problems with your speech and language abilities after a stroke. Regaining these abilities can be challenging, but can be done with the right approach. Here are some strategies and interventions that can help with the process:

• Speech Therapy: Work with a speech-language pathologist (SLP) who specializes in stroke rehabilitation. They can assess your speech and language abilities and design a personalized treatment plan. Speech therapy may include various techniques such as:
  • Articulation Exercises: Practice specific exercises to improve the coordination and strength of your speech muscles. This can involve repeating specific sounds, syllables, or words.
  • Breathing and Vocalization Exercises: Engage in exercises to improve breath control and vocalization. This can involve diaphragmatic breathing exercises, humming, or sustained vowel sounds.
  • Oral Motor Exercises: Strengthen the muscles used for speech production through exercises that target the lips, tongue, and jaw.
  • Language Therapy: Work on improving comprehension, expression, and overall language skills. This may involve activities like word associations, categorization tasks, and sentence construction exercises.
• Aphasia Therapy: If you experience aphasia (a language impairment often associated with stroke), aphasia-specific therapy techniques can be employed. These techniques focus on compensatory strategies, such as using visual aids, gestures, or augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices to support communication.
• Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT): MIT is a technique that uses musical elements to promote speech production in individuals with a specific melodic pattern, gradually transitioning to spoken language.
• Communication Apps and Devices: Explore the use of technology-based communication apps or devices that can assist with speech and language rehabilitation. These tools can provide visual cues, speech exercises, and communication support.
• Support Groups and Conservation Practice: Participate in support groups or conversation practice with others who have experienced stroke or language difficulties. These settings provide opportunities to practice and improve communication skills in a supportive environment.

Work closely with your speech-language pathologist, who can guide you through the appropriate techniques and monitor your progress along the way.

What is Aphasia And How Does It Relate To Stroke?

Aphasia is often referred to as the loss of language, not intelligence. after a stroke occurs in certain areas of the brain.

There are three subtypes of aphasia:

• Expressive Aphasia: Expressive aphasia is being able to understand what is being said verbally, but being unable to fluently respond verbally.
• Receptive Aphasia: Receptive aphasia is the inability to understand verbal language, but being able to express oneself verbally.
• Global Aphasia: Global aphasia is the inability to both understand and express verbally.

Speech therapy services are recommended to address these common stroke-related deficits.

There are common ways in which aphasia can affect a person after stroke and interfere with everyday life tasks related to communication, such as shopping, talking on the phone, reading a book or menu, and expressing simple or complex needs. These include:

• Difficulty with speaking
• Trouble understanding language
• Word-finding difficulties
• Challenges in conversation and social interactions
• Impact on cognitive abilities

It’s important to note that aphasia does not affect intelligence, and individuals with aphasia can often comprehend and think at a normal level despite their difficulties with language.

Browse More Stroke Insights and Answers by Category