Does Aphasia Last Forever?
In the United States, there are about 800,000 stroke survivors and one-in-three of them have aphasia. Research from our neighbors in Canada tells us that when you consider adults living with neurological or non-neurological conditions, aphasia seemed to cause the worse impact on quality of life. Think about that. Not being able to communicate effectively is a huge disruptor to participating in, and actually enjoying your day to day activities.
When I provide adult speech therapy to patients with aphasia, families often ask me:
Has anyone recovered from aphasia?
Can someone with aphasia learn to speak again?
Is aphasia permanent?
How long will it take for aphasia to improve
You might share these same worries. If you were sitting across from me today, I would reassure you with this:
“Yes, your loved one with aphasia can improve their communication skills, thanks to a concept known as neuroplasticity.”
Neuroplasticity is a complex word, so let’s simplify it.
Neuro- pertains to the brain
Plasticity- the ability to change
Can the Brain Heal after a Stroke?
Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to re-wire or modify itself in response to learning or experiencing something new. This is true after a stroke or traumatic brain injury, and applies to all of us across the entirety of our lifespan. So whether you know a 30-something year old stroke survivor, or are involved in the care of your 87-yr old father with aphasia, their brain is able to change/heal. Taking part in speech therapy is an experience that helps neuroplasticity. This means that aphasia therapy actually causes changes to 1) the brain and 2) the speech & language skills. This is the exciting reason why speech therapy for adults is effective!
What Helps the Brain Heal after a Stroke?
Now that we understand the brain's potential for healing after a stroke or injury, here are three insights about language recovery you might not be aware of:
Use it, improve it… or lose it
Having a conversation with someone who has aphasia can be challenging. Should you speak on their behalf? Is it appropriate to ask them questions? Although your loved one may struggle with speaking, providing them opportunities to practice speaking is crucial. The more quality speaking practice they have, the better they can improve their communication skills.
Getting in the way of progress
The brain has a natural inclination to learn, but that means it can learn both helpful and non-helpful communication patterns. Let’s consider someone who is bilingual in English and Spanish. This person has bilingual aphasia, which means they have problems speaking in English as well as problems speaking in Spanish.
If they only receive therapy in English then you will likely see them improve their ability to communicate in English. At the same time, if there is no treatment in Spanish then you may see that improvement in their English language skills interfere with improvement in their Spanish language skills. We want to avoid this type of interference, so treating both languages could be the answer.
Be specific
To improve in something, you must specifically practice the skill that you wish to improve. For example, if your loved one wants to be able to order their own meal at a restaurant, then they must practice the specific words that they will use to order that meal. Practicing words that are random and unrelated is not a specific enough task, and therefore won’t be as helpful.
What Professionals work with Aphasia?
We’ve just explored a brief overview of factors to consider when addressing communication skills for someone after a stroke or brain injury. Hopefully you are assured that your loved one’s ability to speak can get better. If it feels overwhelming trying to support someone with aphasia through the language recovery process, know that you don’t have to navigate this journey alone. You can support your loved one by finding a speech therapist experienced in adult aphasia treatment. Bright Speech can offer aphasia therapy to Texas residents. Feel free to call or message us for further details.
