Speech Therapy Can Help Stroke Victims

Strokes can be scary experiences for the person who has the stroke and those that care about them. Many times, a stroke will affect one side of the body or one part of the brain and make it difficult for a person to communicate. Without clear communication, other problems can arise. There are specialists in speech therapy who work exclusively with stroke victims to help them regain their ability to communicate.
Trouble with Communication
While it may seem like the stroke victim is communicating easily because their speech is not slurred or slowed, after a test, it becomes clear that they have trouble requesting certain items, identifying their feelings and expressing them clearly, or cannot request help as needed. A trained speech therapist can give a comprehensive evaluation to determine if the problem is language based. If it is, therapy can help. If it isn’t, then a therapist can coordinate with the doctor for additional testing.
Stress
When a person faces a flight-or-fight scenario, chemicals are released into the blood stream that create a heightened sense of awareness. This response allows a person to hyper-focus on what they need. For example, if a stroke victim needs to use the restroom, but has difficulty getting there on their own, this will cause them stress. They will then hyper-focus on what needs to be done to get them there and not pay attention to their caregiver’s feelings. They may snap or be rude because they have difficulty forming longer words, especially under stress. Understanding the reasons behind their rudeness can help caregivers to remain calm and not take the situation personally.