Neurological impairment can be due to a number of causes. These include traumatic brain injury (e.g., moderate to severe TBI, mild TBI or concussion), acquired brain injury (e.g., stroke, tumor, anoxia), and neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, Primary Progressive Aphasia, ALS, Multiple Sclerosis). People with neurological impairment may experience a variety of speech, language, and/or cognitive impairments, which can impact their ability to communicate and/or participate in daily activities. Fortunately, this is the speciality of a speech-language pathologist (SLP):
Language impairments may include difficulty with:
- Understanding what people are saying to you
- Following verbal or written directions
- Word finding, or thinking of the correct word you want to say
- Formulating your ideas into meaningful, grammatically-correct sentences in conversation
- Reading and writing
- Using socially-appropriate verbal and nonverbal communication
Thought (cognitive) impairments may include difficulty with:
- Paying attention or focusing
- Remembering things you’ve just learned or tasks you need to do in the future
- Executive function skills such as solving problems, organizing, sequencing, and planning
Speech impairments may include difficulty with:
- Clearly articulating sounds in words
- Speaking loudly with a clear tone of voice
- Speaking fluently without a stutter
Impairments in language, thought, and speech can vary in severity, and will impact each person’s life differently. An evaluation by an SLP can identify specific areas of difficulty, and a customized speech therapy plan helps people regain cognitive-communication skills, develop strategies, and reach personal goals to be able to actively participate in daily activities.
Caitlin and I have been helping people with neurological impairment improve cognitive-communication skills for more than ten years, ever since we began our careers as SLPs. Please feel free to comment below or contact us with any questions or comments, and you can follow us on social media on Instagram and Twitter.
Resources & Further Reading:
American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA): Adult Speech and Language Disorders