Speech Therapy for Traumatic Brain Injury
Relearning to Communicate After a TBI
Understanding Brain Injuries
Did you know that every 9 seconds, a brain injury is sustained by someone in the USA? Despite brain injuries occurring so often, gaps in knowledge and misconceptions are still common among the general public. A brain injury can have wide-reaching impacts on the way an individual thinks, behaves, feels, and communicates. This event can alter everything about a person within a matter of moments and can make navigating daily life and living independently incredibly difficult.
Brain injuries can be very complex, and the impacts of such an injury can vary significantly between individuals. How an individual is impacted depends on several factors, including the cause, location, and severity of the injury. Brain injuries are typically categorized into two main types:
Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury (also referred to as a TBI) occurs when normal brain function is impacted by an external force, such as a blow to the head or impact from a fall or accident. TBIs can be caused by many different things and can be classified into other subcategories, such as concussions. Concussions are often referred to as mild traumatic brain injuries, as they are generally not considered to be life-threatening.
Acquired or Non-Traumatic Brain Injury
Acquired brain injuries (also known as non-traumatic brain injuries) are caused by damage to the brain due to internal factors, including toxin exposure, lack of oxygen to the brain, and pressure on a certain part of the brain due to a tumor or swelling. A stroke is considered an acquired brain injury, as it occurs when blood vessels rupture or become blocked, causing brain cell death.
Some of the most common causes of brain injuries include:
- Falls
- Sports Injuries
- Automobile Accidents
- Assaults
- Stroke
- Aneurysm
- Tumors
- Infections
- Exposure to Toxins
- Epilepsy and Seizures
Speech and Language Problems After Brain Injury
Depending on the location and severity of the brain injury, significant communication problems can often arise. Some of the most commonly diagnosed speech and language disorders in individuals who have sustained a brain injury include:
Aphasia: Aphasia causes difficulties with language processing, including speaking, understanding the speech and language of others, and reading and writing. An individual with aphasia may produce language that is nonsensical or struggle to find the right words when speaking.
Dysarthria: Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder that causes slurred or slow speech due to weakened or paralyzed muscles needed for speech production. Individuals with dysarthria often produce speech that is very slow and difficult to understand.
Apraxia of Speech: Apraxia of speech results in difficulties with planning and coordinating the movements needed for speech. Those with apraxia of speech know what they want to say, but their brain is unable to coordinate the required movements to properly produce speech.
Cognitive-Communication Disorders: Cognitive communication disorders impact social communication skills, memory, attention, problem-solving, and organizing thoughts for communication. An individual with a cognitive communication disorder may find it difficult to navigate conversations, interpret non-verbal cues, follow directions, or recall certain words when speaking.
The Impact Speech Problems Play on Daily Life After a TBI
Traumatic brain injuries can make daily life a challenge, as the impacts of such an injury can be severe and expansive. Daily life can be impacted by a traumatic brain injury in the following ways:
Changes in Behavior: Many individuals who have sustained a TBI experience heightened emotions, often feeling angry, anxious, depressed, or displaying regular mood swings. These intensified feelings can make it difficult to sleep, enjoy simple moments, or effectively communicate with loved ones and caregivers.
Cognitive Changes: Changes in thinking abilities can also have major impacts on daily life. Individuals with a TBI often struggle to maintain focus and attention, remember important dates or details, make plans, set goals, and effectively problem-solve.
Communication Challenges: TBIs often cause significant challenges with communication, whether due to weakened muscles needed for speech (dysarthria), problems with muscle control (apraxia of speech), and problems understanding others or communicating thoughts and feelings effectively (aphasia.)
Social Communication Challenges: TBIs also often affect social communication skills, making it difficult to navigate conversations and use and interpret non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and gestures.
All the effects listed above can profoundly impact an individual's ability to live independently, build and maintain meaningful relationships, and achieve success in social, academic, and professional environments.
The Role of Speech Therapists in Recovery
Speech and language pathologists play a significant role in the recovery process from a brain injury. They begin by evaluating the existing speech, language, and communication skills in the individual, as well as identifying particular areas of difficulty and specific and achievable goals for speech therapy.
From there, they will develop a tailored speech therapy treatment plan that includes techniques, approaches, and exercises that are specifically designed to target the areas in need of improvement. Just as each individual with a brain injury experiences the impacts on communication skills differently, each speech therapy plan is unique.
Why Use Virtual Speech Therapy for TBI Speech Issues
Virtual speech therapy for traumatic brain injuries offers many advantages, including:
Enhanced Accessibility: Bringing speech therapy online enables patients to receive speech therapy from their own homes, helping them overcome barriers like mobility issues and benefit from this incredibly important therapeutic resource.
Customized Care: Virtual speech therapy through Great Speech offers tailored sessions that focus on the unique speech and language challenges caused by a traumatic brain injury. With a network of over 50 specialized speech therapists, we can connect you with a perfectly suited therapist to help you achieve your goals.
Continuous Progress: Online speech therapy for traumatic brain injury provides regular, flexible sessions that easily fit into the patient's schedule, effectively supporting consistency and promoting steady improvement.
Engaging Technology: Virtual speech therapy sessions utilize engaging and interactive tools that make therapy more appealing and effective, helping individuals to remain motivated throughout their recovery process.
Why Choose Great Speech?
Great Speech is at the forefront of innovation in the speech therapy world, and we are proud to provide essential speech therapy services across the United States. With a proven approach that offers many benefits that traditional in-person speech therapy doesn't, online speech therapy through Great Speech is a convenient, effective, and fun way to work towards your communication goals, whatever they may be.
Each of our therapists are highly-specialized, allowing our clients to be matched to address their specific communication needs. This level of specialization allows us to deliver the best service possible.