Adult Communication Difficulties
What Causes Communication Difficulties?
Communication difficulties can develop for many different reasons, particularly following an illness or injury that affects the brain or nervous system.
Common causes include:
- Stroke
- Brain injury
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Motor Neurone Disease (MND)
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple System Atrophy (MSA)
- Dementia
Everyone’s communication difficulties are different. Some people may have problems speaking, while others may find it difficult to understand language, read, write or express themselves.
How Can Speech and Language Therapy Help?
Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) assess, diagnose and support adults with communication difficulties.
After you’re referred to the service, a Speech and Language Therapist will usually visit you at home to carry out a communication assessment.
This may include:
- Talking with you, your family or carers
- Assessing your speech and language skills
- Identifying your communication strengths and difficulties
- Agreeing personalised therapy goals
- Developing a treatment plan tailored to your needs
Treatment may focus on improving communication skills or introducing alternative ways to communicate if speaking is difficult.
Where appropriate, we may also refer you to specialist services.
Types of Communication Difficulties
Different conditions affect communication in different ways.
Aphasia (Dysphasia)
Aphasia affects a person’s ability to understand or use language following damage to the language centres of the brain, most commonly after a stroke or brain injury.
People with aphasia may have difficulty:
- Finding the right words
- Understanding conversations
- Reading or writing
- Forming sentences
- Using the correct words
Although communication is affected, intelligence remains unchanged.
Dysarthria
Dysarthria is caused by weakness or poor coordination of the muscles used for speech.
Symptoms may include:
- Slurred speech
- Quiet speech
- Speaking too quickly or slowly
- Running out of breath when talking
- Changes in voice quality
- Difficulty pronouncing words clearly
Apraxia of Speech
Apraxia affects the brain’s ability to plan and coordinate the movements needed for speech.
People may:
- Struggle to produce sounds
- Say sounds in the wrong order
- Speak slowly and deliberately
- Find longer words particularly difficult
Apraxia often occurs alongside aphasia.
Other Difficulties That Can Affect Communication
Communication isn’t just about speech.
Other factors may also affect how someone communicates, including:
- Memory
- Concentration
- Attention
- Planning and organisation
- Problem solving
- Fatigue
- Emotional wellbeing
- Social interaction
- Learning new skills
These difficulties can vary from day to day depending on a person’s health and energy levels.
Supporting Someone with Communication Difficulties
Communication is always a two-way process.
Family members, carers and friends play an important role in helping conversations feel less stressful and more successful.
Helping Someone Express Themselves
You can help by:
- Asking simple questions.
- Offering choices instead of open-ended questions.
- Encouraging gestures, pointing, drawing or writing.
- Giving the person plenty of time to respond.
- Asking one question at a time.
Helping Someone Understand
To make conversations easier:
- Use short, simple sentences.
- Write down important words.
- Use facial expressions and gestures.
- Point to objects where possible.
- Reduce background noise and distractions.
Supporting Someone with Dysarthria
When someone has unclear speech:
- Face the person while they are speaking.
- Make sure the room is well lit.
- Reduce background noise.
- Don’t pretend you’ve understood if you haven’t.
- Ask them to repeat only the part you missed.
- Encourage a louder voice if appropriate.
- Allow plenty of time for them to finish speaking.
Alternative Ways to Communicate (AAC)
Sometimes speech therapy focuses on finding new ways to communicate rather than improving speech itself.
This is known as Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).
AAC may include:
- Communication books or picture charts
- Alphabet boards
- Writing
- Tablet or computer-based communication devices
Your Speech and Language Therapist will discuss the most appropriate options for your individual needs.
Common Myths About Speech and Language Therapy
Speech and Language Therapists do much more than help with speech.
Our role is not limited to:
- Correcting accents
- Teaching languages
- Treating lisps
Communication includes understanding language, reading, writing, gestures, facial expressions and using alternative communication methods.
Further Information
If you have concerns about communication difficulties or would like to discuss a referral, please contact your Speech and Language Therapy team.
They’ll be happy to discuss your individual needs and the support available.
