Helping patients with aphasia reconnect through communication and care

Losing the ability to communicate can be one of the most life altering challenges a person faces. For people with aphasia, expressing thoughts, understanding others or reading and writing can become difficult, affecting independence and quality of life.

At IU Health, Speech Therapy teams support patients with aphasia by focusing on what matters most to them. Speech language pathologists develop individualized care plans to help patients strengthen communication skills and regain confidence in daily interactions.

Aphasia most commonly occurs after a stroke but can also result from other neurological conditions. Therapy is tailored to each patient’s needs, from improving word finding to building sentence structure or using alternative communication methods. Care focuses on functional communication so patients can engage with family, return to routines and participate more fully in life.

“It is important to remember that having a loss of language does not mean a loss of intelligence,” says Lesley Greiner, speech language pathologist at Ball Memorial Hospital. “Persons with aphasia have the same stories to tell and ideas to share. Speech therapy helps them meet personal goals and give them their voice back.”

Speech language pathologists evaluate how aphasia affects daily life and design therapy around meaningful, real world situations. “It is less important to name a list of vegetables than it is to successfully order a meal at a favorite restaurant,” Greiner says.

Care may also include communication partner training to help family members support communication at home.

Progress is often seen in everyday moments. “When a patient can ask for an item at a store, tell a loved one they care or share a story, those are meaningful steps toward reconnecting,” Greiner says.

During Aphasia Awareness Month in June and year round, IU Health provides speech therapy services at locations across the state to help patients improve communication and reconnect with the people and activities they value most.