Acquired Communication Disorders

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Communication disorders can affect a person’s ability to:

Express themselves

Understand others

Read

Write

Speak clearly

Take part in everyday conversations

These changes can be frustrating, upsetting and isolating, both for the person affected and for those around them.

Communication disroders may happen following stroke, brain injury, neurological illness or other medical conditions. They can vary from mild to severe and may affect one area of communication or several.

Examples of communication disorders include:

Aphasia, which can affect speaking, understanding, reading and writing

Motor speech disorders, where speech may sound slurred, effortful, distorted, monotone or quiet. This includes disorders called dysarthria and apraxia of speech.

Voice disorders or dysphonia.

Cognitive communication difficulties, affecting attention, memory, organisation, conversation appropriateness and/or social communication.

Assessment helps to identify the nature of the difficulty and its impact on everyday life.

Therapy is then tailored to the individual and may include advice and strategies, bespoke exercises and therapy programmes, technology and apps, and Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) where appropriate. For some people, input may also include specific approaches such as Lee Silverman Voice Therapy (LSVT) to support voice and speech. 

The aim is to support successful and effective communication, and to help the person participate as fully as possible in daily life.