18 Nov Speech Therapy After Traumatic Brain Injury: What to Expect
Brain injuries have the ability to dramatically and permanently alter the life of a person. And among the range of effects brain injury has, the most commonly observed consequence is speech disorders.
The improvement in understanding these disorders has also led to significant advancement in speech therapy. Speech-language pathologists now have a range of techniques and therapeutic protocols at their disposal. The rate of success for speech therapy has also made great strides with many patients now making full recoveries.
What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?
A traumatic brain injury happens as a result of an external force causing injury and damage to the brain. Incidents such as car accidents, falls, or physical assaults can cause TBIs. These injuries often involve trauma to the delicate blood vessels and can also cause chemical imbalances in the brain. These imbalances can in turn change brain function and affect behavior.
Traumatic brain injuries vary in severity from concussions (mild), to serious cases that could result in lasting cognitive and physical issues over time. The severity of the injury typically influences the kind and scope of care needed.
TBIs happen a lot more than you might expect. In fact, one study estimated that 55.9 million mild TBIs occur annually. While mild TBIs tend not to have long-term consequences, severe ones can have detrimental effects on a person’s speaking and cognitive abilities.
How Does a Traumatic Brain Injury Affect Speech and Language?
Image Source: Pexels
Damage to the parts of the brain and nervous system involved in speech formulation, idea comprehension and movement of speech muscles leads to speech disorders.
Parts of the brain involved in speech are:
- Broca’s area, part of the left sphere, is in charge of the production and articulation of speech. If you find yourself searching for words at times, this is the area which is kicked into action.
- Wernicke’s area is responsible for language comprehension. Idioms are an example of what the Wernicke area is responsible for. So, a person knowing that “break a leg: means good luck and “seeing red” means to be angry shows their Wernicke area in full swing.
- Angular gyrus connects language and meaning. They connect the written or spoken word with auditory, sensory or visual sensations so that we understand the connotation. For example, when someone says cotton, we instantly see and feel a soft, white ball. This is the response of the angular gyrus.
Damage to any of these three areas can cause significant speech disorders.
Types of Speech Therapy Treatments Available
There are highly specialized speech therapy programs that are now available. What exactly is right for you comes down to the specific challenges that you face. Since your therapist will be curating your personal treatment plan, choosing the right therapist is important.
Speech-language pathologists must have a Master’s degree in speech-language pathology and it can be earned through a traditional university or an online SLP program. In the United States, the degree must be accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA-ASHA).
Articulation and Phonological Therapy
This therapy focuses on the clarity and precision of speech sounds. You’ll be given repetitions of a particular sound, focusing on tongue and lip position, as exercises. This helps not only in clear pronunciation but also trains the ear to distinguish between different sounds. It uses exercises to strengthen the tongue, lip and jaw muscles to produce clear, accurate speech.
Language and Communication Therapy
Language and Communication Therapy usually involves the pathologist helping you with vocabulary and sentence construction. They will help you redevelop narrative skills and help you engage in conversation. These kinds of therapy sessions usually constitute structured exercises.
Cognitive-communication Therapy
In this treatment, you’ll be working on the higher cognitive skills involved in communication. You’ll be given exercises to improve concentration, techniques to minimize distraction and improve memory recall, better critical thinking and problem solving skills and go through dialogues for certain social situations.
Voice Therapy
This type of therapy is used for patients with voice-resonance disorders. The speech therapist may give you vocal and breathing exercises and techniques to improve different aspects of the vocal like pitch and volume.
What to Expect
Your first couple of sessions will deal with assessment of the problem. The speech therapist will get to know you and pinpoint exactly what’s wrong. This way, they can formulate an accurate treatment plan to suit your needs best.
Treatments can last from a couple of weeks to years depending on the severity of your brain damage.
Tips for Speech Therapy Success
- Set realistic goals to help you stay motivated and positive
- Maintain a routine
- Do exercises at home to speed up progress
- Download speech therapy apps and buy exercise books so you can do them anytime, anywhere
- Celebrate every little achievement. Even the slightest progress is a step closer to your goal.
Patience and perseverance during speech therapy is key to bouncing back. Early treatment increases a person’s chances of living a normal life by a large amount. So it’s important not to delay and see a professional right away.
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Last Updated on November 18, 2024 by Marie Benz MD FAAD