Adult Aphasia

What is adult aphasia?
It is a state of difficulty in expressing one's thoughts and understanding what is said or written. Aphasia occurs with brain damage; it is often observed in paralyzed patients or head injuries.

What are some language problems associated with aphasia?
People with aphasia have difficulty understanding what they are told and expressing their thoughts. Besides, decreased ability to read, write, gesture and use numbers is observed. Conversations can be restricted to objects or actions, short phrases or simple words. Often, sentences are formed with single words in speech, as in Telegram. The word order may not be correct, so it is difficult to understand what is being told. Sometimes the sounds and words change, for example the patient may say “ chair” instead of “table” or “plug” instead of “tooth”. It can even produce the meaningless word” ditch “instead of” tooth". The most known feature of aphasia is the difficulty of nomenclature. For example, a person with aphasia may know what to do with a toothbrush, but may forget what to call it.

Why does it take people with aphasia so long to answer questions?

People with aphasia need extra time to understand what they are being told. They hear words, but they may not suddenly remember the meaning of the word. To those who listen to aphasia, it may sound like they're speaking a foreign language. Besides, patients need to think and find the words they want to use.

Do people with aphasia remember immediately when they think of the word they want to use?
They often forget the word as soon as they say it and have to remember it again when they need it. They have difficulty remembering even their children's names, for example.
Maybe they've said it many times, but they might not be able to say it again in a few minutes.

Is the use of stereotyped words typical in people with aphasia?

Yes, they often recall frequently used automatic responses such as curses, numbers, days of the week, “Yes,” “No,” “I'm fine,” “thanks.” Don't criticize aphasia patients for cursing. They're often unaware they're saying something inappropriate.

What other problems can stroke or head injuries cause?

Some people may have trouble making words sound exactly. They mispronounce syllables by mixing them. They can be too emotional compared to what they were before. For example, they may be more easily embarrassed and laugh and cry without measure. They can be confused and forgetful.

What are some physical problems linked to brain damage?

Aphasia is usually caused by damage to the left half of the brain. If one half of the brain is damaged, the other half of the body is affected. People with aphasia have weaknesses in their right arms and legs. Vision may be affected. With a minority, epileptic seizures may occur.

What is spontaneous healing?

As the body recovers on a physical level, some people with aphasia regain writing and speech. Development can take days or up to six months and beyond. Sudden development in the acute period is called spontaneous healing.

What kind of help is suitable for people with aphasia?

What aphasia is and its consequences should be explained to both individuals and families with aphasia. The language and speech therapist makes an assessment and prepares a therapy program as a trained professional at the masters and doctoral levels. Although few people fully recover, aphasia can be helped through language therapy.

When should the person with aphasia see the language and speech therapist?

Therapy can be taken starting from the first days following a brain attack.