Communications Strategies For Adults With Aphasia
Those with aphasia often develop multiple strategies to communicate with others and educate others about the best ways to communicate with them. We are sharing a few helpful resources and tips straight from my husband, Ryan’s, communication toolbox! Ryan has aphasia which means he has trouble speaking and has mild comprehension issues. He’s found these strategies and resources helpful in navigating his daily life with aphasia and apraxia. So, take a look and give them a try to see if they can work for you, too!
Communication Strategies
- If you can’t say it, type it out on a computer, phone, or iPad
- Use a mirror when saying words
- If you can’t get the word you want out, try to use a similar word instead
- Read/spell the word out loud
- Write the word on paper
- Type dashes to break up words
- Use gestures
- Use pictures
- Sound cues (Saying/hearing the beginning sound of a word)
- Use a dry-erase board
- Try to pronounce words
- Tap syllables of words
Resources for Practice
- Join local aphasia support groups to practice with others
- iPad / Phone Apps for practice
- Tactus App
- Lingraphica
- Phonics Genius
- MyEnglishGrammar
- Grammarly for accurate writing practice
- Google recorder (Transcription software)
- Otter (Transcription software)
Listening Tips
- Self-disclosure: telling the listener that you have aphasia to inform them they need to be patient or show them your aphasia card.
- Try to remember the topic being discussed
- Don’t be afraid to ask, “what are we talking about?”
- Think about what you might say next.
- Use a speech to text app when around family members and friends to follow along in conversation.
If you have any other tips or resources you’d like to share, please feel free to comment or email us at info@aphasiareaders.com, and we will update this post.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about our various strategies for communication for those with aphasia! For more resources, head on over and view our Fridge Functional Phrases HERE. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news from Aphasia Readers! If you haven’t picked up your first Aphasia Readers book, order your copy HERE!