© Keli Miles
Credit: Keli Miles | ©Keli Miles
Tips for Better Communication
The estimated number of people in the United States who have acquired aphasia, a language disorder caused by a head injury or a stroke, is over one million people. That's one in every two-hundred-and-fifty people. It affects individuals in all age brackets and chances are you either know someone who has aphasia or you will know someone in the future.Not being able to communicate in the normal way brings on a devastating sense of isolation for people with this disorder and it often causes severe depression. Learning the basic, common sense tips listed below can prevent you from unknowingly adding to your friend's loneliness and dejection.
1) Don't stop calling your friend on the telephone. Just because he or she has difficulty talking doesn't mean your friend has lost interest in hearing about what is going on in your life. It may be hard, at first, to carry on a lopsided conversation but stopping your regular pattern of contact will only adds to your friend's isolation.
2) When making a social engagement over the phone, or planning a visit with someone with aphasia, confirm those plans with their spouse, significant other or caregiver. It may be hard-to-impossible for your friend to repeat those plans to the person who will need to know about them. Don't add extra stress to their relationship by not confirming your engagement or visit with both parties involved. What will only take you seconds to convey may take your friend hours to get across.
3) When seeing your friend in person, talk directly to him or her and not through someone else in the family. There are many types of aphasia but in most cases, people with aphasia can understand everything that is being said to them. Remember that the inability to processing language in and/or out usually has nothing to do with loss of intelligence. Treat your friend as an adult, not a child. If processing language in seems to be a problem, then allowing a few moments in between your sentences can help.
- Pay attention to your friend's body language.
- Relax and be the same person you've always been around your friend.
- Treat your friend as an adult, not a child.
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Comments
Really great tips. Most of us will, at some time, deal with this kind of problem in our loved ones. Thanks for sharing such great information.
gracie
(Guest)
(Guest)
05/05/2008
ok, here's the link. If I can link this article to it, let me know. Thanks so much.
http://forms.ehow.com/contribute.aspx?id=&panel=4
~Gracie
gracie
(Guest)
(Guest)
05/05/2008
thanks for bringing awareness to this subject. I am 32 and after a series of 'brain seizures' around my speech and language center, I had aphasia (expressive). It was so difficult. I am still recovering but as of now, I am probably 80%. These are great tips! The only thing I would add is about the humor part. Don't interject humor about the aphasia unless they do first. They will know you are uncomfortable and that is why you are making jokes (unless they aleady have that relationship).
Thanks again for writing this. Can I link this article to my article on ehow? (I haven't written it yet but will tonight)? Can you send me a message at my ehow account and let me know? http://forms.ehow.com/OverView.aspx thanks so much! ~Gracie
Please check out my 'Aphasia and Stroke Caregivers Guide' at: http://www.squidoo.com/strokecaregiver
Wonderful article. Very informative. A great resource for understanding aphasia.
I hope you'll check out my blog at:
http://fromtheplanetaphasia.blogspot.com/
What an interesting topic. This is great information that everyone should know about. Thanks for sharing.
Benonderpalm
(Guest)
(Guest)
09/07/2007
My friend has aphasia but no brain damage (as far as scan, mri and lots of other tests have made out). She has detoriated speech since 2 years and now starts to not comprehend our speech as was well. What can we do to keep her "rolling"? Her mother apparently had the same disease and wasn't communicating at all for 15 years before she died. She was diagnosed with "dementia".
My friend is ok for all the other functions apart from speech and sometimes uderstanding what we are saying. She remembers dates and things better than us, when she has a chance to listen carefully though. Any help available? Who should I turn to?
Thank you! You have done a beautiful job with this article!!! My mom will be out here visiting us for 2 months (she just had a stroke 5 months ago) and I know that most of her friends don't really call her anymore because of the Aphasia. If I had emails for everyone I would link them back here but I don't.
I would like to print this article out and send it to them via USPS if that is okay with you.
I don't want my spunky mama to feel lonely or homesick while she is out here and when I bring her to visit her friends it would be great if they understood more about Aphasia.
I too need the reminders sometimes.. I tend to jump to what she is saying (slap my hand!)
Thanks again!
I work with some folks like this at my job. It's a sad life, and I am glad to see an article about this topic. Thanks for helping those who can not speak up form them selves.
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