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Aphasia |
Aphasia can affect comprehension. Patients may have difficulty understanding single words, sentences, specific inferences and grammatical structures. It can also affect auditory and/or written understanding; one often mirrors the other.
Patients with aphasia may present with (rollover aphasia problems below for descriptions):
Difficulty finding the word so that speech is hesitant or they may say a similar word in sound or meaning e.g. Spoon - ‘spool’ or ‘fork’
Word-finding difficulty
Sentences or words similar in sound, sometimes breaks of fluency, even though these individuals may have good non-verbal communication. These individuals often have poor self-monitoring skills.
Jargon
"Sticking" on words or phrases.
Perseveration
"Word order difficulties and difficulties constructing sentences
Word order difficulties
Patients may have similar difficulties reflected in their reading and writing.
There are many assessments available to assess different aspects of an individual's communication abilities. These are designed to critically assess the language processes within the brain.
You should refer to the speech and language therapist for a formal assessment of the individual's psycho-linguistic abilities.
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