Download Communication Many conditions have associated communication

Communication
Many conditions have associated communication difficulties. For example:
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Stroke
Parkinson’s Disease
Dementia
Head injury
Motor Neurone Disease
Multiple sclerosis
Head and neck cancer, plus more
In the UK:
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2.5 million people in the UK have speech, language or communication needs (SLCN)
50,000 people who have a stroke every year have speech and language difficulties.
700,000 people with dementia experience SLCN
About 70% of people with Parkinson’s disease will experience communication
difficulties, largely with their voice
There are three main types of communication difficulties:
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Motor Speech Disorders e.g. dysarthria – difficulties with spoken output such as
slurred speech
Aphasia - difficulties with understanding or using language after a stroke or head
injury
Voice difficulties – such as muscle tension dysphonia or vocal fold nodules
A communication difficulty can have a significant effect on a person’s quality of life. It could
prevent them from being able to participate in everyday life. They may become unable to
socialise with friends or family, or stop them from being able to use the telephone. This may
result in them becoming isolated and/or depressed.
MOTOR SPEECH DISORDERS
Motor Speech Disorders is the umbrella term given to conditions which affect speech and
voice quality. These include: dysarthria and apraxia of speech.
Dysarthria –
Ø describes changes to the voice and / or muscles used for articulation (speech
sounds)
Ø these difficulties can occur due to weak or tight muscles of the tongue, lips, soft
palate, voice box (larynx) etc. Surgery which has had to remove part (or all) of a
muscle (for example, with mouth cancer) can also result in dysarthria.
Ø speech can sound slurred and can sometimes be very difficult to understand
(unintelligible). Voices can be extremely quiet and very difficult to hear.
Apraxia of Speech –
Ø describes the difficulty a person may have with producing the correct speech sound
they wish to say
Ø they may be unable to say certain sounds or may say the incorrect sound in place of
another
Ø the person may be able to say many words which are very familiar, for example,
counting, days of the week or ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, however when asking for a
drink, cannot say the correct sounds in the word
Conditions which may result in motor speech disorders include:
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Stroke
Parkinson’s Disease
Traumatic Brain Injury
Brain Tumours
Aphasia
Aphasia is difficulty with language, which may affect a person’s ability to understand
language or express what they wish to say.
It can affect one or more of the following:
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Understanding (words, sentences, instructions etc)
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Speaking (single words, sentences, peoples names, places)
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Thinking of the name of an object
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Reading
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Writing
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Numbers
Conditions which may result in aphasia include:
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Stroke
Head Injury
Brain tumour
Brain infection e.g. encephalitis
Neurological diseases e.g. Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy
Dementia
Drugs misuse
Plus others
Aphasia can be life changing depending upon the severity of the difficulties.
Sometimes the person with aphasia can ‘regain’ some or most of their ability to understand
and use language. However there are people who will continue to have severe aphasia for
the rest of their lives – this is where SLT is essential in providing the right information,
support and treatment to allow the person to communicate in the best possible way.
Voice difficulties
Voice difficulties can lead to changes in voice quality (dysphonia) and / or the complete loss
of voice (aphonia).
Conditions which may result in voice difficulties include:
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Specific conditions which affect the voice, e.g. vocal fold nodules, polyps, muscle
tension dysphonia and oesophageal reflux disease
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Neurological conditions, e.g. Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neurone Disease and
Parkinson’s disease
Other disorders which can affect voice, e.g. asthma, HIV and AIDS
How do Speech and Language Therapists assess and manage communication
difficulties?
Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) are the experts in the assessment and
management of communication difficulties.
They will work closely with the service user, their family, other professionals and carers to
ensure the person has the strategies they require to communicate as effectively as possible.
Intervention may include:
Assessment –
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detailed assessment of an individual’s speech, language, voice and communication
strengths and weaknesses
Management –
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individual treatment plans based on the assessment
treatment will either aim to rehabilitate speech/language/voice or compensate for the
communication difficulties
onward referral to local groups and support networks
advice and information for other professionals, staff and family members