Speech Impairment

Dysphasia or the difficulty in speaking can be caused by disorder in the nervous system such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) or brain injury (specifically to the speech center).

Other causes of dysphasia may be a result of surgeries that involve removal of cancer from the parts that contributes to the production of speech such as the mouth, tongue, larynx and the oral cavity.

Dysphasic residents can understand what other people say but cannot form words in order for others to understand them yet they can still make sounds. Speech problem does not affect intelligence therefore they can still understand you.

Patience is required especially if the dysphasic person is trying to tell you something. It is important to give them time to be heard and not to hurry them in order for them to feel that they can somehow express what they want to say.

Additional tools can be used to aid them in order for you to understand them clearly such as a bulletin board, small notes, visual aids and others. Encourage them and praise them for every effort they make in order for them to feel confident in expressing what they want to say and cooperate in all the activities.

As a caregiver, be sure to be therapeutic in communicating with them and avoid the use of demeaning statements. Do not use the words blind, deaf or mute but instead use terms which are not humiliating such as hearing-impaired, vision-impaired and others.