Aphasia Foundation of the Philippines, Inc.

Speech Rehabilitation : Rebuilding Communication Skills

The first visit of the speech pathologist is generally devoted to making an evaluation. He or she may ask your loved one to do some tasks like moving the different parts of the mouth, test the recall of words, through conversation or through picture description, comprehension of instructions, and reading and writing. These are all important to help the speech pathologist arrive at a diagnosis of which particular areas of speech and language have been affected.

The therapist will also find out what mode of communication is available now and what other communication strategies can be achieved. He or she will then discuss with you the result of evaluation and the plan for therapy.

Therapy sessions usually last 30 minutes to an hour. While in the hospital, speech therapy can be done at bedside, or at the rehabilitation department, depending on your loved one's strength and tolerance. After discharge from the hospital, therapy is recommended to be continued on an outpatient basis at the hospital. You can also arrange for a home visit, if there is a speech pathologist available. The sooner after the injury that speech therapy begins, the more effective it is likely to be. Early, consistent and appropriate intervention will help your loved one achieve maximum recovery.

Speech exercises are designed to help stimulate the brain that is recovering from injury. Exercises usually start at the level that is easiest for your loved one and then gradually become more challenging.

Here are some exercises usually done to enhance the functioning of the different areas of language:

a. Mouth Exercises

Your loved one may be asked by the speech pathologist to move and exercise the different muscles of the mouth like smiling, opening the mouth, and sticking out the tongue. These exercises improve the strength and coordination of the muscles to make his speech clearer.

b. Word Recall Exercises

He or she may be asked to practice defining words, thinking of words classified under a category, recalling names of everyday objects, and constructing sentences. He or she may be asked to spell words or answer worksheets to improve word recall. These will help him or her better remember these words during conversation.

c. Listening

Your loved one may be asked to listen to and remember words, or follow instructions that become increasingly complex to help improve his or her auditory comprehension.

d. Communication Board

When necessary, an alternative mode of communication may be planned by the speech pathologist. With your participation, a board with words or pictures depicting daily needs will be developed to aid your loved one express himself or herself.

e. Gesture or Pantomime

To augment verbal expression, the speech pathologist may teach the use to specific gestures and pantomime so that your loved one will be able to convey what he or she wants.

f. Computer Assisted Treatment

In foreign countries, the use of computers has become an important tool in facilitating relearning of language skills. You can ask your speech pathologist about software that might be appropriate in the case of your loved one. Such software can usually be ordered by mail, fax or email.

Although the exercises may sound easy, they can be mentally fatiguing. The person with aphasia may feel frustrated because activities that once would have been simple are now difficult and strenuous. It may be painful for you to see your loved one give the wrong answer or struggle to name an object. Your involvement, therefore, in his or her rehabilitation is very important.

The speech pathologist ideally with give you home instructions on how to further stimulate your loved one's language skills. It is very important that you understand the rationale behind the exercises to be able to comply with these instructions. Aside from helping the person regain the speech and language abilities, the speech pathologist can also offer suggestions on how to adopt the most effective and successful system of communicating with him or her at home.



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