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| Communication and language changes can be common following an acquired brain injury. The type of communication or language difficulty experienced will depend on which area of the brain is affected and how severely damaged the area is. Nearly all the areas of the brain are involved in communication. For example, the frontal lobe controls the movements of our face and tongue so that we can speak; the parietal lobe is involved with interpreting language for reading and writing; and the temporal lobe is involved in understanding the meaning of words.
Individual communication and language impairments are usually given different names such as dysphasia, dysarthria, and dyspraxia.
Dysphasia/Aphasia refers to an impairment of language comprehension or language production. For example a person may have difficulty understanding the words people are saying to them, and/ or they may have difficulty speaking in sentences and trying to find the right word to say
Dysarthria refers to a muscle weakness of the face and/ or tongue resulting in slurred speech production.
Dyspraxia/Apraxia refers to a disorder of speech programming, where the person has difficulty articulating specific sounds/words - even thought they often know exactly what they are trying to say. |
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People can also sometimes experience cognitive-communication deficits. This means that their cognitive impairments (such as reduced attention/ concentration, reduced memory and poor insight) can impact on their communication abilities. A good example of this is someone who has difficulty understanding what people are saying because they can't concentrate long enough to take it all in.
Unfortunately communication and language impairments are slow to improve and the reality is that often people are left with some changes permanently. However, there are a number of strategies that can make communicating much easier.
Strategies to Use with Someone Who Has Cognitive-Communication Deficits (pdf, 65kb)
Strategies to Use to Make Your Speech Clearer if You Have Slurred Speech (pdf, 50kb)
Strategies to Use When You’re Having Difficulties Thinking of Words (pdf, 57kb)
Comprehension Strategies: Strategies to Use to Make Sure You are Understood (pdf, 51 kb)
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