Stroke/CVA Resources
A stroke or cerebro-vascular accident (CVA) can be a very debilitating event in an individual’s life. Some individuals make a complete recovery, others only have minor difficulties and their communication is unaffected. However, for some their speech and language can be severely affected. This section provides information about the effects of a stroke and some strategies to facilitate communication.
A stroke or cerebro-vascular accident (CVA). This article discusses the effects of a stroke, the types of impairment that might occur, and factors that effect recovery. Click here to read more.
Reading and Writing following a stroke. The ability to read and write can be affected by a stroke or brain injury. Although you might not get the reading and writing skills back that you had prior to your brain injury or stroke, it is possible to make reading and writing easier by using some different strategies. Click here to read more.
Dysarthria refers to a speech difficulty that may occur following an injury or disease to the brain, cranial nerves or nervous system. Dysphonia is a hoarseness, weakness or loss of voice. Following a stroke dysarthria and/or dysphonia may occur making speech difficult and often reducing intelligibility. There are a number of treatment options that can be used to facilitate speech. Click Here to read more.
Picture Communication Charts
When you have had a stroke, a brain injury, or lost the ability to speak for whatever reason, just expressing your basic needs can be difficult. Using picture charts can be a short or long term solution to just help you express a few of those common words quickly. I have made up a few different charts that I thought might help. These picture communication charts just contain everyday vocabulary such as people, places, feelings, and basic needs.
How to use picture communication charts
This document describes how to use these charts effectively.
Written Communication chart
The Written communication chart contains written basic vocabulary for those who don’t need, or don’t want picture charts. Everyday vocabulary includes people, places, feelings, and basic needs.
Places Picture Communication Chart
The Places picture communication chart contains descriptive vocabulary and everyday places so that the individual with communication difficulties can describe places.
People Picture Communication Chart
The People Description Chart helps the individual with communication disorders describe a person if the listener does not realise who they are talking about.
Using the People Picture Communication Chart
How to use the People Picture Communication chart
Description Picture Communication Chart
The Description Chart contains adjectives and attributes such as “size”, “colour”, “senses” etc to help describe things in more detail.
Categories Picture Communication Chart
The Categories chart gives the listener contextual cues to help them understand what the individual with communication difficulties is trying to say.
Alphabet Chart (stroke)
Dysarthria effects your speech and can make your speech, hoarse, breathy and often unintelligible. One simple strategy to use to help people to understand you is to use an alphabet chart. Obviously you can use this to spell words out if you are not understood, but a quicker way is to just point to the first sound of the word you are trying to say. When the listener knows the first sound they can often cue into the rest of the word as you say it by listening to your speech and intonation, and using the context of the conversation.
AAC and Assistive Communication options, and a Total Communication Environment
This fact-sheet gives an overview of some of the ways we can use hi-, and lo-tech assistive communication devices and strategies to optimise communication and overcome communication breakdown.
Go to our Stroke/CVA Section to find out more about Stroke and strategies to promote communication skills, and for more information about communication difficulties, and ideas and strategies to help communication, see our Resources.
Recommended Reading
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