Communicating with someone who is experiencing communication difficulties as a result of a sudden event or general deterioration e.g. stroke, brain injury, Dementia can be daunting for anyone. Having to adapt to a new communication style takes time.
The following list highlights a range of helpful strategies and suggestions which may make things a bit easier…
- Minimise distractions and background noise – this will allow the individual to focus solely on what is being said as splitting their attention may no longer be possible. Many people who are experiencing difficulties with their communication as a result of a sudden event e.g. stroke, brain injury, can also often suffer from poor attention so minimising possible distractions can be a great help.
- Make eye contact with the person. Many of us get into the habit of starting a conversation in one room and continuing to talk as we do other tasks, meaning we’re often not facing our communication partner. Not facing your communication partner takes away possible non-verbal cues that can help them interpret the message e.g. facial expressions, gestures. It also impacts the clarity of our speech which can be particularly difficult for individuals with sudatory processing difficulties or difficulty understanding spoken language in general.
- Ensure you have their full attention – this sounds like an obvious one, but sometimes individuals with communication difficulties may need cueing into a conversation before it starts, for example, by saying their name to get their attention first.
- Reduce your speech rate and over-articulate – in individuals with receptive aphasia, following fast paced conversation can be very overwhelming and depending on the severity of the communication difficulty, impossible. Monitoring the rate of your speech and slowing down (see our SLOP strategies in our previous blog) and over-articulating words can make the message much clearer.
- Use familiar words and avoid metaphors and abstract language – minimizing the use of complex language can take pressure of the individual. Particularly in individuals who have suffered cognitive impairment e.g. brain injuries, strokes, abstract language is very difficult to understand so they may struggle with jokes or sayings etc. Keeping your language simple and ‘to the point’ can be very helpful.
- Ask one question at a time: do you want tea? Do you want coffee? – try not to overload the individuals with multiple questions. Remember, they are likely having to concentrate twice as hard to follow a simple conversation as they would have before. We do not need to add to their workload by giving multiple options they have to remember and process.
- Remember non-verbal cues – approximately 93% of our communication is nonverbal. Meaning a very small amount of our communication relies on our verbal output i.e. The words we say. That is why it’s so important to remember the importance the following to convey your message: facial expression, tone of voice, pointing and gesture.
- Use pictures and visual cues where possible – Using photographs of familiar people and places can act as a great prompt in conversation. Seeing familiar pictures may help with memory issues or support individuals in accessing familiar names. The use of familiar logos can also assist individuals in communicating their message e.g. pointing to a picture of a drink in a communication book to indicate they are thirsty.
- Be patient – It can be very frustrating attempting to communicate with someone who is struggling to communicate in the same way they did before. But remember, however frustrating it is for you, it is much more frustrating and upsetting for the individual suffering from the communication impairment. It can be very confusing so giving them extra time when needed and letting them know they do not need to rush can reassure them and help them feel safe.
