How to Help Stroke Patients With Speech

According to the National Institutes of Health, a stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted or when a blood vessel bursts in the brain. Among other things, stroke victims often experience difficulty speaking or understanding speech. Strategies are available to help stroke patients with speech.

Instructions

• 1

  Consider Lee Silverman Voice Treatment. Dysarthria is a speech disorder which affects approximately 30 percent of stroke victims. It causes slurred or hard to understand speech. In a study, to be published in Brain Injury and the International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, Dr. Rachel Wenke found that participants who underwent Lee Silverman Voice Treatment improved the clarity and strength of their voice, and demonstrated a slower rate of speech. Lee Silverman Voice Treatment can be administered through the use of DVD's which are available at the link below.

• 2

  Participate in group therapy. Group therapy allows stroke survivors to practice communication skills in small and non-judgmental settings. Most cities have "stroke clubs," groups of stroke survivors who have frequent meetings and gatherings. According to the National Institutes on Deafness and other Communication Disorders, these clubs provide support and resources for stroke survivors and their family members.

• 3

  Read aloud to stroke survivors. According to the American Stroke Association, you can improve the communication skills of a stroke survivor by simply reading aloud to him. Similarly, you can encourage the stroke survivor to read a book that has an accompanying audiotape. According to the American Stroke Association, reading while listening to paired audio can improve speech and communication skills.

• 4

  Explore financial options. Improving speech following a stroke can be expensive. Some insurance companies may not cover various treatments. In these situations, you should ask your speech-language pathologist for information concerning free therapy services in your community. Often, universities will provide speech-language pathology training programs on a free or reduced-cost basis. These services are typically provided by graduate students under the supervision of speech-language pathologists who are certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.