Post-Stroke Speech Disorders
Speech After A Stroke
A person who has suffered a cerebral vascular accident or CVA (commonly known as a stroke) may experience aphasia, apraxia, dysarthria, and/or dysphagia. It is important to remember that a stroke has not impaired the person's intelligence. It has affected his ability to understand and/or express himself. The more family and friends understand the problem the more they can help the recovery of the person with aphasia, apraxia, dysarthria and/or dysphagia. The speech pathologist will work closely with the family to help them help their loved one.
Speech therapy is very important and usually begins within 24 hours of a person with a stroke being hospitalized. With evidence of progress, individual or group therapy may continue for one to two years after the accident.
If you have questions about whether someone you know could benefit from therapy and they live in the Seattle area, please contact Speech, Language & Literacy.
Aphasia
Aphasia is a condition that can affect all language areas including speaking, understanding, reading, and writing in varying degrees.
The following suggestions may be helpful in communicating with a person who suffers from aphasia:
- Ask questions that call for a yes or no answer
- Speak in short phrases
- Talk about familiar topics or people
- Assume the person understands and avoid talking about him in his presence
- Give the person time to think of words
Dysphagia
Dysphagia is a weakness or paralysis of the muscles used for speech and results in a person's speech being slurred and difficult to understand.
A person who is having difficulty eating may choke on certain solids or liquids or may develop pneumonia as the result of food or liquid "going down the wrong way". Alert family and friends to any dietary restrictions and caution them against providing unauthorized "snacks or treats".
Dysarthria
Dysarthria is a weakness or paralysis of the muscles used for speech and results in a person's speech being slurred and difficult to understand.
The following suggestions may be helpful in communicating with a person who suffers from dysarthia:
- Ask the person to speak slowly and overemphasize the words
- Encourage the person to open his mouth
- Let the person know when you don't understand and ask him to repeat
Contact Speech, Language & Literacy
Hearing, Speech & Deafness Center (HSDC)
Artz Communication Center
1625 19th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122
Phone 206.388.1300
TTY 206.388.1275
Fax 206.388.1301
Email speech@hsdc.org / contact
Hours Monday through Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm
