What are some of the language problems associated with aphasia?
Persons with aphasia will have difficulty understanding what is said to them and expressing their own thoughts. They will also have reduced ability to read, write, gesture, or use numbers. Speech may be limited to short phases or single words such as names of objects or actions. Frequently, the smaller words in speech are left out so that the sentence is shortened to “key words” like a telegram. The word order may be incorrect, or the message may be turned around and difficult to understand. Sometimes, sounds and words get changed, for example, calling a table a “chair” or calling a bank teller a “tank beller.” Nonsense words like “baba” or “shanna” may even be used. Some people with aphasia may produce speech with obvious effort and misarticulations. The most common characteristic is difficulty in naming. The person with aphasia may know what to do with a toothbrush, for example, but will have forgotten what to call it. Contact us for more information.
