National Aphasia Association’s DOs and DON’Ts for Communicating With People Who Have Aphasia
Aphasia is a communication impairment usually acquired as a result of a stroke or other brain injury. It affects both the ability to express oneself through speech, gesture, and writing and to understand the speech, gesture, and writing of others. Aphasia thus changes the way in which we communicate with those people most important to us: family, friends, and co-workers.
The impact of aphasia on relationships may be profound or only slight. No two people with aphasia are alike with respect to severity, former speech and language skills, or personality. But in all cases it is essential for the person to communicate as successfully as possible from the very beginning of the recovery process.
How To Communicate With A Person Who Has Aphasia
• Talk to the person with aphasia as an adult and not as a child. Avoid talking down to the person.
• During conversation, minimize or eliminate background noise (i.e., television, radio, other people) whenever possible.
• Make sure you have the person’s attention before communicating.
• Praise all attempts to speak, make speaking a pleasant experience, and provide stimulating conversation. Encourage and use all modes of communication (speech, writing, drawing, yes/no responses, choices, gestures, eye contact, facial expressions).
• Give them time to talk, and permit a reasonable amount of time to respond.
• Accept all communication attempts (speech, gesture, writing, drawing) rather than demanding speech. Downplay errors and avoid frequent criticisms/corrections. Avoid insisting that each word be produced perfectly.
• Keep your own communication simple but adult. Simplify sentence structure and reduce your own rate of speech. Keep your voice at a normal volume level and emphasize key words.
• Augment speech with gesture and visual aids whenever possible. Repeat a statement when necessary.
• Encourage people with aphasia to be as independent as possible. Avoid being overprotective or speaking for the person except when absolutely necessary. Ask permission to do so.
• Whenever possible, continue normal home activities (i.e., dinner with family, company, going out). Do not shield people with aphasia from family or friends or ignore them in a group conversation. Rather, try to involve them in family decision-making as much as possible, keeping them informed of events but not burdening them with day-to-day details.
These guidelines are intended to enhance communication with people who have aphasia. However, they cannot guarantee that communication will be immediate or on a par with former skills.
Source: National Aphasia Association, New York, NY.
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