Aphasia and Communication Rehabilitation
Speech Pathology for Aphasia
Aphasia is an acquired language disorder resulting from a stroke, brain injury or neurological condition. It affects the person’s communicative and social functioning, quality of life, and the quality of life of his or her relatives and caregivers.
There are four components of language that can be impacted by aphasia. Here are some common symptoms:
Speaking
– Word finding difficulties
– Speaking in single words or incomplete sentences
– Leaving out words when speaking
– Substituting one word for another or one sound for another
– Speak unrecognizable words
– Speak in sentences that don’t make sense
Understanding
– Difficulty understanding what others are saying
– Difficulty understanding long or complex sentences
– Requiring extra time to understand
Reading / Alexia
– Difficulty reading words or sentences
– Unable to sound out words
– Difficulty reading functional text online (e.g. Facebook)
Writing / Agraphia
– Difficulty writing letters, words, or sentences
– Writing words or sentences that don’t make sense
– Incorrect usage of grammar
– Difficulty texting or messaging online
Other Acquired Communication Disorders
Apraxia: A neurological disorder that affects the brain pathways in planning the sequence of movements involved in producing speech. A person with dyspraxia knows what he/she wants to say, but struggle with lip, jaw and tongue movements.
Dysarthria: Speech that is characteristically slurred, slow, and difficult to understand. Dysarthria is caused by paralysis, weakness, or inability to coordinate the muscles of the mouth.
Voice Disorder: Abnormal pitch, loudness, rhythm and voice quality (e.g. hoarse rough, breathy, strained, harsh).
Complex Communication Needs: Not able to communicate through speech or writing. Often, a person with CCN communicates in others ways such as gestures, facial expressions and the use of low or high-tech devices.
Speech Pathology for Adults
Speech Pathologists at iBrain have expertise in diagnosing and treating acquired communication disorders.
We have a focus on making strong connection with our clients and truly understand what matters to them the most, because we believe the best intervention is the one that is tailored for the person. Therapy should focus beyond impairment and enhance participation and independence.
At iBrain, we love FUNctional and meaningful therapy that is person-centred, evidence-based and outcomes driven! Yes, we try to make it FUN whenever we can!
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
The latest research highlights that advanced communication and assistive technologies can play an important role in the processes of speech pathology: improving therapy outcomes, promoting self-cueing of speech, supporting remote and multimodal communicative interactions.
We believe that Assistive Technology IS NOT a last resort, but a tool that should be introduced early on in rehabilitation. Indeed, it is regularly integrated into our daily practice.