Therapy services
INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP THERAPY TARGET THE FOLLOWING COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES
Cognitive or thinking difficulties
Cognitive or thinking difficulties may arise following stroke and can result in impaired memory, trouble understanding subtle language (like jokes or sarcasm) and reduced problem solving skills.
Dysarthria
Dysarthria is muscle weakness, paralysis or poor coordination of the breathing and speech muscles and can affect a person’s speech volume or cause them to slur their speech.
APHASIA
Aphasia is caused by damage to the parts of the brain that control language and can result in difficulty understanding what other people say, losing the meaning of words and difficulty recognising word sounds. It can also be difficult for the person to express what they want to say or find words and they may get stuck on particular sounds. People with aphasia can also find it hard to interpret body language, read or write.
APRAXIA
Apraxia means difficulty planning and coordinating the muscle movements needed to form speech sounds and words. It can be hard for someone with apraxia to find the correct mouth position needed to make sounds, move smoothly between sounds and words or coordinate the muscle movements needed to chew and swallow.
Speech Pathology Australia (2014). Communication and swallowing difficulties following stroke. Retrieved September 30, 2015, from http://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/library/2013Factsheets/Factsheet_Communication_Difficulties_Following_Stroke.pdf