Aphasia Institute – Health Care Professionals (Part 5)

On-line – Self-Directed Learning

Revealing Competence

There are communication techniques that can help ease the exchange of information and feelings between the conversation partner and the person with aphasia. The key is ensuring messages are taken IN, OUT and VERIFIED by the person with aphasia.

Getting the message IN is a matter of modifying the way you converse to ensure you are being understood by the person with aphasia. Some methods to try include:

• Using short, simple sentences and an expressive voice.
• Using gestures when conversing.
• Writing keywords or main ideas down – e.g., PAIN in large or bold print.
• Using pictures and focusing on one at a time.
• Eliminating distraction – noises, other people, or multiple visual materials.
• Observing the person’s facial expression, eye gaze, body posture or gestures to determine level of comprehension.

Getting the message OUT might be a bigger challenge for someone with aphasia. To help them express their thoughts to you, try:

• Asking yes or no questions.
• Asking one question at a time.
• Asking him/her to gesture, point to objects or pictures, or write key words, such as “Can you show me…”
• Giving him/her sufficient time to respond.
• Asking fixed choice questions such as, “Do you want water or coffee?”
• Phrasing yes or no questions from general to specific.

Verifying the message is important to making the person with aphasia feel understood and valued. Summarize slowly and clearly by saying, “So let me make sure I understand” and using the following methods:

• Adding gestures or written key words.
• Repeating the person’s message.
• Expanding on what you think the person might be trying to say.
• Recapping the conversation if it was a long one.

Norma