SPEECH & LANGUAGE THERAPY
Speech and Language Therapy (SLP) for Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is a rehabilitation process focused on restoring and improving communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing skills that have been affected by a brain injury.
Therapists use personalized plans that combine restorative methods (e.g., exercises to improve muscle control and neural connections) and compensatory strategies (e.g., using assistive technology like calculators) to help individuals communicate more effectively and participate in daily life.
The ultimate goal is to enhance functional independence and quality of life.
Key components of therapy
- Assessment: A speech-language pathologist (SLP) conducts a comprehensive assessment to identify specific deficits. This can include formal tests, interviews, and informal observation to understand the impact on daily activities
- Restorative therapy: This approach aims to rebuild lost skills by strengthening the muscles used for speech and swallowing, improving the brain’s ability to process language, and retraining cognitive functions like attention and memory
- Compensatory therapy: This focuses on teaching strategies and using tools to help manage ongoing challenges. This can involve learning to use assistive technology, developing new ways to organize thoughts, or using memory aids
- Goal setting: Therapy plans are developed collaboratively between the SLP and the individual to set specific, functional goals that are meaningful to the person’s daily life
What the therapy can address
- Aphasia: Difficulties with understanding and producing language
- Dysarthria: Slurred or slow speech due to muscle weakness or poor coordination
- Apraxia of speech: Difficulty planning and sequencing the movements needed for speech
- Cognitive-communication deficits: Problems with memory, attention, problem- solving, and executive functions that impact communication
- Swallowing difficulties: Also known as dysphagia, which can be a significant issue after an ABI
What is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is an injury to the head caused by a motor vehicle accident or a fall. Children and adults with a brain injury suffer from communication and cognitive difficulties when language areas of the brain are affected.
People with a brain injury might suffer from difficulty finding words, recalling information, formulating sentences, understanding spoken messages, spelling, reading and writing. They may have trouble with social communication- taking turns, maintaining a topic, or responding to facial expressions.
How could we help?
Cognitive problems occur after TBI. Speech-language pathologists help regain cognitive- communication skills such as memory, reasoning skills, problem solving skills, and planning.
Our speech-language pathologists will develop a treatment plan after the assessment. The treatment plan will vary depending on the severity and areas of difficulty. Early stages of treatment are mostly structured but eventually the treatment may include going on community outings to practice using developed skills in everyday situations.
Treatment will also include teaching family members on how to facilitate interaction with their loved one. The goal of speech-language therapy is to maximize the person’s potential not only to speak, but also to communicate effectively in order to achieve social, academic and/or vocational success.
- Communicate your thoughts, emotions and knowledge to others
- Understand what others are communicating to you
- Improve your reading and writing skills
- Organize your thoughts, learn new information and make better decisions
- Live at home independently or with support
- Return to work
- Return to school
- Enhance your quality of live by participating in recreation and leisure activities