stroke.org.

uk

A complete guide to

Communication
problems after
stroke

Problems with communication are common after

stroke. This guide will help you understand more
about them.
It explains why you may not be able to communicate
properly after your stroke and how speech and
language therapy can help. It also tells you what can do
about communication problems and has tips to help
other people support you.
Its aimed at people who have had a stroke but there is
information for family and friends as well.
We have information on all aspects of stroke.
If you have a question that is not answered in this
guide visit stroke.org.uk or call our Stroke Helpline
on 0303 3033 100.

Communication problems after stroke

Whats in this guide?

Why cant I communicate properly?

What kinds of problems can this cause?

Aphasia

Problems with reading and writing

Dysarthria

Apraxia of speech

Will it get better?

Are there treatments that can help?

8
8

Speech and language therapy

Are there aids or equipment that can help?

12

Communication cards and passports

12

Charts and books

13

Electronic aids

14

Apps and computer programmes

14

What can I do about my speaking problems?

15

Where can I get help and support?

16

How we can help

16

Other organisations that can help

16

Tips for family and friends

18

A guide to good conversations

19

Communication problems after stroke

Why cant I communicate properly?

Communication problems happen because
a stroke damages your brain.

Communication isnt just about speaking,

however. Many people also have problems
with reading and writing.

When we communicate our brain has to

complete a series of tasks. So when youre
talking to someone and they ask you a
question, for example, your brain has to
understand what you are being asked, decide
on your answer and put the words together,
before you can give them a reply.
Different parts of your brain are responsible
for each of these tasks. Depending on the
area of your brain that is damaged, you could
have problems with any part of this process.

Communication problems do not affect

your intelligence
If you have communication problems you
simply have problems with the process of
speaking and sometimes understanding
language. It has nothing to do with
intelligence at all.

2.

Remember
it

1.

3.

Hear it

Understand
it

7.
Say the
words

4.
Find the
words

6.

Tell your
muscles
how to
move

5.
Put a
sentence
together

What happens when were asked a question

Communication problems after stroke

What kinds of problems can this cause?

Aphasia

Signs of aphasia

Aphasia affects your ability to speak and

understand what others say. It can also
affect your ability to read and write. Aphasia
is sometimes called dysphasia.

While it will be different for everyone,

these are some of the more common
signs of aphasia:

It happens when youre no longer able to

understand or use language. It does not
affect your intelligence, although some
people may treat you as if it has. Aphasia is a
common problem after stroke and around a
third of stroke survivors have it.
There are different types of aphasia:
Brocas aphasia or expressive aphasia,
is when you find it very difficult to speak.
You may only be able to say single words or
very short sentences, although its usually
possible for other people to understand
what you mean.
Wernickes aphasia or fluent aphasia, is
when youre able to speak well and use
long sentences, but what you say does not
make sense. You may not know that what
youre saying is wrong, so you may get
frustrated when people dont understand
you.

not being able to understand much of

what other people say
not being able to form words, only
sounds
only being able to say single words or
very short sentences, like want drink
speaking slowly, with very long pauses
missing out words or getting them in
the wrong order
getting stuck on a single word or
sound, and repeating it over and over
saying one word when you mean
another, so you may say milk instead
of water, or yes instead of no
not being able to find the right word,
even though you can describe what
youre thinking of
talking nonsense, but not realising that
youre not making any sense
being able to read headlines in a
newspaper, but not the rest of the text
being able to write, but not read what
youve written.

Global aphasia is when you have serious

communication problems and you may not
be able to speak, read or write at all.

Losing your communication

doesnt just affect you, it
affects everyone around
you too.
Chris

Communication problems after stroke

Problems with reading and

writing
Alexia is when you find reading difficult,
because youre not able to recognise written
words. It is sometimes called word blindness
or visual aphasia.
If you have problems with writing this is
known as agraphia. You may find it difficult
to spell words, write sentences in the right
order or draw a letter, or you may not be able
to write at all.

Dysarthria
To speak clearly, we need to control the
muscles in our face, mouth and throat as
well as our breathing. Dysarthria happens
when youre not able to do this.
Dysarthria doesnt affect your ability to
understand other people or to find words and
put them together, unless you have other
communication problems at the same time.
Dysarthria is a common problem after stroke.
Out of everyone who has a stroke, nearly half
experience it in some way.
Signs of dysarthria
Dysarthria affects people in different
ways. For some, their speech may only
be a little unclear and people will usually
be able to understand them. However,
for others it means that they cant speak
clearly at all.
Some common signs include:
not being able to speak clearly
slurred or slow speech
speaking with a quiet or strained voice,
or one that doesnt change its tone
hesitating a lot or speaking in short
bursts, rather than full sentences.

Apraxia of speech
Apraxia is when you have problems moving
your muscles in the right order. This makes
is hard to move your body in the way you
want to. Some people call this dyspraxia.
Apraxia of speech is when you cant move
the muscles in your face, mouth or throat in
the order you need to when youre speaking.
This can make it difficult for other people
to understand you. You may not have any
weakness in these muscles and you may be
able to control them individually without any
problem. However, you cant move them in
the way you want to when you try to speak.
This is because apraxia is a problem with
planning movements, rather than the
movements themselves. So even though you
may not be able to say goodbye if someone
asks you to, you may be able to say it when
you go to leave, because youre doing it
without thinking.
Signs of apraxia of speech
It can be hard sometimes to tell the
difference between apraxia of speech and
other communication problems.
These are some common signs:
not being able to say words clearly,
especially when someone asks you to
your speech changes and words sound
different every time you say them
you try to correct yourself, because you
know things sound wrong
you hesitate between words or need
several attempts before you can say a
word
you are able to say things clearly when
you recite them in a list (like days of the
week or numbers), but not when youre
asked to say them on their own
not being able to speak at all
sometimes.

Communication problems after stroke

Will it get better?

Most communication problems do improve.
However, how much theyll improve or how
long it will take is very difficult to predict, as
its different for everyone.
Problems tend to improve quite quickly
within the first three to six months, but you
can continue to recover for months and even
years after this. Whilst some improvement
will happen naturally, you are likely to make a
much better recovery if you have speech and
language therapy, practise your exercises and
try to communicate as much as you can.
For most people, getting better is about
returning to the way they were before their
stroke. However, this isnt always possible.
Even if you get close, you may still have
problems from time to time, especially when
youre tired or stressed.

I had a stroke eight years

ago. I still get frustrated with
myself when I cant get my
words out and embarrassed
when I say the wrong word.
But I get annoyed at other
people when they think Im
ok. Not all disabilities are
visible.
Clair

But even if you dont recover completely,

there are many ways to communicate that
dont rely on speaking. So it doesnt have
to stop you from doing what you want to do.
Lots of stroke survivors continue to live full
and happy lives, even though they still have
problems with communication.

Communication problems after stroke

Are there treatments that can help?

Speech and language therapy
Speech and language therapy helps you
to improve your ability to communicate.
Research shows that people who have
speech and language therapy improve much
more than people who dont.
Many people think that speech and language
therapy is about fixing your problems so
that you can speak as well as you did before.
However, its not always possible to recover
your speech completely.

So its important to find things that will

help you communicate despite your
problems with speaking. These are known as
compensation or coping strategies. They
include anything from gestures and body
language to alphabet charts and electronic
devices anything that helps you to get
across what you want to say.
So whilst your speech and language therapy
will be about getting you to speak and
understand more, it will also focus on learning
other ways to communicate.

Writing
Facial
Expression

Reading

Body
language
Tone of
voice

Drawing

Communication
is more than just
speech

Listening

Touch
Gesturing
Music

Eye
contact

Communication problems after stroke

Technology

Confidence also plays an important part

in your ability to communicate. Speech
and language therapy helps to build your
confidence, so you feel able to join in
conversations, talk to new people and do the
things you want to do.
There is evidence that certain drugs may
help to treat some speaking problems.
However, its not known whether they
work better than speech and language
therapy or whether they are completely
safe. More research needs to be done
before they can be widely recommended.

Speech and language therapy should also

involve your friends and family. If youre
learning new ways to communicate, then the
people around you need to learn as well. So
encourage your friends, family and carers to
attend your speech and language therapy
sessions with you if they can, and practise
with you at home.
How do I get speech and language therapy?
When youre in hospital youll be referred
to a speech and language therapist for an
assessment to understand the kinds of
problems youre having. Most stroke teams
include a speech and language therapist,
but they can be based in other hospital
departments and in the community as well.

What does speech and language therapy

involve?
Theres no set pattern for speech and
language therapy. You will have regular
sessions with a speech and language
therapist, but what you do in these sessions
will depend on the problems that you have
and whats important for you to work on.

SALT is short for speech and language

therapist. This is someone who works
with people to improve their ability to
communicate. They also work with
people who have swallowing problems.

Many people start speech and language

therapy thinking that they just need to turn
up and do what their speech and language
therapist tells them to. But speech and
language therapy is about working towards
goals and these goals need to be set by you,
together with your speech and language
therapist. Its no good working on your
spelling, if what you really want to do is tell
your family that you love them.

Depending on what you find out from your

assessment, the speech and language
therapist will discuss the kind of therapy
that will be best for you and set up regular
sessions. This may start in hospital or when
you return home.

Speech and language therapy isnt just

about the time you spend with your
speech and language therapist. Getting
better and becoming more confident only
comes with practice. So the more you
do outside of your sessions, the more
progress youll see within them.

If services are busy, you may have to wait

several weeks for your speech and language
therapy to start once you return home. Many
people find this difficult, so try to find out as
much as you can whilst youre in hospital. Ask
your speech and language therapist when
your therapy will start and what you can work
on while you wait.
If you dont stay in hospital, or you dont
notice difficulties until youve returned home,
then speak to your GP.

Communication problems after stroke

How long does it last?

There is no set length of time for speech
and language therapy. Ideally, it will continue
until youve achieved your goals. However,
this isnt always the case. Many people find
that their speech and language therapy ends
before they feel ready.
Knowing that youre no longer going to
have regular advice and support from your
speech and language therapist can knock
your confidence and make you worry that you
wont improve any more than you have.
But recovery doesnt end with therapy. As
you carry on practising your new skills, youll
probably see that things will get even better
and your confidence will continue to improve.
Are there exercises I can practise on
my own?
There arent exercises that we can
recommend to everyone, because what
works for one person, wont be suitable
for someone else. Exercises need to be
tailored to you, the problems you have
and what you want to achieve. So ask your
speech and language therapist about
exercises you can continue to practise on
your own. There may also be computer
programmes or workbooks that they can
recommend.

You have to teach yourself

again... you have to teach
yourself to talk to people.

What happens after speech and language

therapy?
In many areas there are organisations who
offer communication support such as:
one-to-one sessions with someone
who is trained to provide communication
support
communication or conversation groups
where you can practise with other people
partner schemes that will put you
in touch with someone else who has
communication problems so that you can
practise together.
Before your therapy ends, your speech and
language therapist should talk to you about
the kinds of communication support thats
available to you and put you in touch with
services that could help. They should also
explain how you can contact them or another
speech and language therapist if you need to
in the future.
Depending on how confident you feel,
there may be other ways to improve your
communication. Many people volunteer,
for example, either at their local stroke
group or for another charity or organisation.
This can help you become more confident
about talking to new people and in different
situations.
If there are still things that you want to
work on, there are workbooks you can buy
or websites and apps you can use to set
yourself goals. These can help you break your
goals down into smaller steps and record
your progress as you work towards them. Ask
your speech and language therapist if they
can recommend some.

John

10

Communication problems after stroke

Why havent I been offered speech and

language therapy?

What about private therapy?

You wont be offered speech and language

therapy if your speech and language therapist
thinks that you wont get any benefit from it.
This may be because youre too ill to take part
in therapy sessions or if your problems seem
to be getting better on their own.
Its important that you and your speech and
language therapist review this further down
the line, as there may come a time when you
would benefit from it.

Physically and mentally and

verbally, you need to just
practise and practise and
practise.

If youre not offered therapy through the

NHS, or if you feel that you didnt get enough,
you may want to think about private therapy.
Private therapy means finding your own
speech and language therapist and paying
for treatment yourself.
Prices can range between 50 and 90 for
one session and initial assessments are
likely to be more. So this isnt an option for
everyone. If you do decide to pay for private
therapy, we suggest finding a speech and
language therapist who has experience of
working with people who have had a stroke.
Contact our Stroke Helpline if youd like to
know more about private treatment.

John

Communication problems after stroke

11

Are there aids or equipment that can help?

There are aids that can help make
communication quicker and easier. They
range from simple charts with words and
pictures to portable electronic devices.
Because there are so many communication
aids available, its best to get advice from
your speech and language therapist about
which ones would be most helpful for you.
Heres a brief overview of the kinds of aids
that are available.

Communication cards and

passports

A communication passport is a document

that tells people important information
about yourself everything from the kind of
communication problems you have and the
medication youre taking, to your likes and
dislikes and where you grew up. If you have
problems speaking, you can use this to tell
other people everything they need to know
about you. This can be especially helpful if
you have a lot of different visitors or carers.
Anyone can make their own communication
passport, although there are many templates
available to help you.

A communication card is a card that you

can use to explain to people that you have
problems with speaking. Its usually small, so
that you can carry it with you in your wallet
or purse. A communication card can help you
explain to people (like shop assistants and
waiters, for example) that you need a little
more time or help. We have communication
cards that you can order from our website.
Go to shop.stroke.org.uk

12

Communication problems after stroke

Charts and books

Simple communication aids include alphabet
boards, communication charts and books.
They display large letters or words, as well
as sets of pictures, photos or symbols that
you can point to. For example, many have
pictures to represent feeling hungry or thirsty
or being in pain.

An e-tran frame is a special chart for people

who are not able to move their hands to
point. Instead, you can use your eyes to
indicate a letter, word or symbol that is
attached to a large frame, which is held in
front of you by a trained carer.

These communication charts can be

useful, especially in hospital, when your
communication problems are likely to be
worse. However, they may not be as suitable
for the kind of conversations you want to
have when youre back at home.
Our communication chart has been designed
for people who have had a stroke. It costs
2.50 and you can order it from our website.
Go to shop.stroke.org.uk
Symbol sets are sets of picture symbols that
you can use to put messages together. There
are many sets available, covering a range
of different topics. You can also get them
in different formats, depending on what is
easier for you to use.

Communication problems after stroke

13

Electronic aids
Voice output communication aids (VOCAs)
are devices that can help you if you have
problems speaking clearly. They use a
computer-generated voice to play a message
aloud. Some work by pressing a button to
play a pre-recorded message, like How
are you?, whereas others have a keyboard
so you can type your own message for the
VOCA to read aloud.

Many apps are free or free to try out, whereas

others can cost over 50. They are not always
available for all devices, so its important to
do some research to find whats best for you.
The Aphasia Software Finder has
information about software and apps for
people with communication problems. It
provides information about what the apps do,
how much they cost and what devices they
can be used on. The website is funded by a
charity, The Tavistock Trust for Aphasia, and
run by independent researchers, so all the
information is impartial. Go to
www.aphasiasoftwarefinder.org
There are also computer programmes that
you can use to continue practising your
speech and language exercises. There are
lots of different programmes that can be
tailored to the things that you need to work
on, whether its speaking, writing or using
numbers.

Apps and computer

programmes
Apps are computer programmes that can be
downloaded from the internet and used on
your smartphone or tablet computer (such as
an iPad).
There are over a hundred apps that
have been designed to help people with
communication problems, but there are also
many others that you may find helpful such
as apps that can set picture reminders on
your phone, rather than written ones, or apps
you can use to add voice recordings to the
photos that you take.

14

This kind of computer-based therapy works

best when you have a speech and language
therapist to guide you. They can make sure
that you do the exercises correctly and that
theyre not too easy or too difficult. You
may use computer programmes during the
sessions you have with your speech and
language therapist or they may teach you to
use a computer to practise at home.
You can also buy speech and language
therapy programmes yourself. There are
a number of companies that sell them.
However, its a good idea to get advice from
your speech and language therapist first.
These programmes can be expensive, so you
need to make sure that you get something
suitable. Most companies will offer you a free
trial of their programme before you buy it, or
your speech and language therapist may be
able to show you an example.

Communication problems after stroke

What can I do about my speaking problems?

Practise, practise, practise

The more you practise your
communication, the more
progress youll make. So take
every opportunity you can read
things out loud, repeat the names
of songs on the radio, list the
days of the week in the shower,
whatever you can think of. And
ask your friends and family to help
you. Communication is also about
confidence, which will come with
practice too.
but know when to stop
Communication can become
exhausting, especially to begin with.
So its important that you dont
push yourself too hard. Listen to
your body. If youre getting tired,
take a rest. Find things to do that
dont need you to talk, so that
you can give yourself a break. Try
listening to music, watching sport
or gardening, or playing a game, for
example.
Laugh as much as you can
Its easy to feel stupid when youre
always getting words wrong. And
the constant struggle to get across
what you want to say can be both
frustrating and exhausting. Its a lot
to cope with, but for many people
laughing is the best way to do it.
Not only is it a good way to release
tension, but it can help the person
youre talking with to feel more
relaxed and happy as well.

Be up front with people

People are more likely to give you
the help and time you need if they
know youve had a stroke and
struggle with speaking because of
it. So explain to new people. Using
a communication card may help.
Its not always easy to do, but youll
usually find people are much more
understanding than you think they
will be.
Get it out
Coming to terms with the effects of
your stroke is difficult enough, but
it can be even harder when youre
not able to talk about it very well.
But this shouldnt stop you from
getting the emotional support you
need. So if youre finding things
difficult, talk to your speech and
language therapist or speak to a
friend or family member. You may
have to arrange it so that you have
the time and space you need to talk
things through, but it will be worth
the effort if you do. Hobbies like art,
music, photography or poetry can
give you a way of expressing your
feelings as well.
Embrace technology
Even if youre not used to
technology, smart phones and
tablet computers are actually
pretty easy to use and many people
with communication problems find
them helpful. You can use them to
video chat with people, for example,
which is often easier than speaking
on the phone. Or you can use them
to take pictures of things that you
want to ask for, like your favourite
foods or members of your family.
Of course, they can be expensive
to buy but many people find them
worth the investment.

Communication problems after stroke

15

Where can I get help and support?

If youre worried about communication
problems, then speak to your doctor or
speech and language therapist.

How we can help

Our Stroke Helpline can give you information
and support on any issue you or your family
may be facing after stroke. Whatever the
problem, were here to help.
We have coordinators in some areas of the
UK, who can meet with you and your family
and give you information, practical advice
and emotional support. We also run stroke
groups across the UK.
We have communication support
coordinators in a lot of areas. They run
groups where you can practise your
communication with other stroke survivors
or someone can work with you one-to-one.
Even if we dont have these services in your
area, we can tell you about others that do.
Or you can talk to other people affected by
stroke on our online forum TalkStroke or on
our Facebook page. Visit
stroke.org.uk/talkstroke or
facebook.com/TheStrokeAssociation
To find out how we can help, just get in touch:
call our Stroke Helpline on 0303 3033 100
email info@stroke.org.uk
visit stroke.org.uk
write to us at Stroke Information Service,
Life After Stroke Centre, Church Lane,
Bromsgrove, Worcestershire B61 8RA.

16

Other organisations that can

help
Below are some other organisations in the UK
that may be able to help. Contact our Stroke
Helpline if youd like to know about others in
your area.
Connect is a charity for people with aphasia.
They run a befriending scheme where you
can get one-to-one support from a volunteer
with aphasia.
They also offer face-to-face counselling at
their office in London, or via video chat for
people who live elsewhere. You can download
a free Aphasia Information Pack from the
website, which includes a film about living
with aphasia.
Website: www.ukconnect.org
Tel: 020 7367 0840
Email: info@ukconnect.org
Speakability is a charity that supports people
with aphasia. They have information that
is written for people with communication
problems on their website. They also run a
network of self-help groups for people with
aphasia across England, Scotland and Wales.
Website: www.speakability.org.uk
Tel: 080 8808 9572
(TueThu, 11am3pm)
Email: speakability@speakability.org.uk

Communication problems after stroke

Communication Matters has information

about methods of communication you
can use instead of writing or speaking
(known as augmentative and alternative
communication or AAC for short).

Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland is a charity

for people affected by chest and heart
conditions as well as stroke.

Their website lists all the communication aid

centres and AAC assessment services across
the UK. These services can tell you about aids
that can help you communicate and show
you how to use them. Some also lend out
equipment.
Website: www.communicationmatters.org.uk
Tel: 0845 456 8211
Email: admin@communicationmatters.org.uk

They offer communication support in

Scotland, including groups and one-to-one
support. They also have information on their
website that has been written for people with
communication problems.
Website: www.chss.org.uk
Advice Line: 0808 801 0899
Email: adviceline@chss.org.uk

Communication problems after stroke

17

Tips for family and friends

It can be difficult to know how
to help someone when theyre
finding communication difficult. So
here are some tips to help you.
Practise too
If your friend or family member
isnt able to communicate in the
same ways as before, then youre
going to need to learn new ways
to do it too. So get involved with
their speech and language therapy
as much as you can. Go along
to their speech and language
therapy sessions if youre able to,
or ask their speech and language
therapist to send you information.
Therell always be exercises to do
at home, so do them together and
take every opportunity you can to
practise having conversations.Our
Guide to good conversations on
page 19 will help you.
Keep talking
Many people with communication
problems say they feel invisible
because people forget that they
have something to say or arent
willing to put the effort in to find
out. So although it can be difficult,
make sure your friend or family
member is included in your
conversations whether its an
argument, an important decision
that needs to be made or simply a
chat about the weather.
You may avoid talking to your
friend or family member because
you think it will make them tired
or embarrassed or frustrated.
But equally they might think its
because youre not interested in
knowing what they have to say.
Plus the more they practise the
more theyll improve. So keep
talking.
18

Communication problems after stroke

Be patient
It can be distressing when
someone you love cant
understand what you tell them
or if you cant understand
them. All relationships rely on
communication so it can be very
hard when it suddenly becomes
difficult. But things will get better
with time. Even if your friend or
family member never completely
recovers their ability to speak,
youll find other ways to get across
what you want to say to each
other. It will take time and it wont
always be easy, so make sure you
both get the right support.
Dont do everything for them
Your friend or family member
is going to be more reliant on
you, but it wont help if you do
everything for them. So as their
communication begins to improve,
encourage them to do things on
their own even if its only small.
You may have to give them a
gentle push to try something for
the first time, but remind them
that youre there to help if they run
into trouble.
Make time
People can start to feel very lonely
when theyre not able to talk or
go out in the same way they used
to. So simply spending some time
with your friend or family member
can really help. Make an effort to
talk to them about how they are
coping. Although it may be difficult
to begin with, youll find a way to
do it. It can also help to spend time
not talking as well, to give them
a break. Find something you can
do together that doesnt require
much chat, like cooking a mealor
playing a game.

A guide to good conversations

When youre talking to someone,
its up to both of you to make sure
the conversation is a good one.

During your
conversation

This doesnt change if one of you

has communication problems. It
may make your conversation a bit
more difficult, but it can still be just
as good.

Do

These are our tips to help you.

Before you start

Make time
Remove distractions and make
sure youre not under any other
pressures, so you can give each
other your full attention.

Keep it simple keep sentences

short and ask one question at a
time.
Say when you dont understand
its not a problem, you just need to
try it again.
Stick to one topic at a time and
make sure you both know when
youve moved on to a new one.
Use whatever you can point to
things, make gestures, write, draw,
hum or sing.

Focus on what youre doing

Look as if youre ready to talk,
sit close to or opposite each
other and make eye contact.

Talk naturally about things that

are of interest to each other.

Dont worry
Conversations are about
sharing and understanding each
other, so it doesnt matter how
you do it or how long it takes.
Be ready to make mistakes, you
just have to keep trying.

Rush give each other time to

understand and respond.

Get ready to listen

The best conversations involve
everybody equally, so good
communication is as much
about listening as it is talking.
To be a good listener you need to:
give time and attention
try not to interrupt
allow silences
ask questions
give feedback
check youve understood.

Dont

Finish sentences or guess what

the other person is trying to say
its extremely frustrating. Just
give them the time they need to
get there themselves.
Ask questions you already
know the answers to its a
conversation not a test.
Pretend to understand what
theyve told you or assume that
you have always check.
Forget that youre talking to
an adult who has problems with
their communication, not their
intelligence.

Communication problems after stroke

19

Some other things to

think about:

Five rules of good

conversations

Check yes/no responses. Sometimes

people with communication problems
say yes or no when its not what they
mean. So check with a simple thumbs
up or thumbs down, or draw a tick and
a cross on a piece of paper and ask
them to point.

1. Show respect

Write down key words. Even if they

cant read very well, many people can
still recognise single words. So writing
down key words as you go along can
help you if you run into trouble.

5. Never assume.

If your conversation partner is

struggling to think of a word, then
ask them to spell it, write it down,
or point to what it begins with on an
alphabet chart.
Think about other things that you
can use to help your conversation.
Do you have pictures from your
holiday youre talking about, which
you could look at while you chat? Or
why not sit down with a photo album
or a newspaper, or perhaps a book on
a topic that interests one of you, and
talk about that together?

20

Communication problems after stroke

2. Give each other time

3. Listen
4. Be positive

About our information

We want to provide the best information for people
affected by stroke.
Thats why we ask stroke survivors and their families, as
well as medical experts, to help us put our publications
together.
How did we do?
To tell us what you think of this guide, or to request
a list of the sources we used to create it, email us at
feedback@stroke.org.uk

Communication problems after stroke

21

We are the Stroke Association

We believe in life after stroke. Thats why we support
stroke survivors to make the best recovery they can. Its
why we campaign for better stroke care. And its why we
fund research to develop new treatments and ways of
preventing stroke.
Were here for you. If youd like to know more,
please get in touch.
Stroke Helpline: 0303 3033 100
Website: stroke.org.uk
Email: info@stroke.org.uk
From a textphone: 18001 0303 3033 100

Text STROKE 5 to 70300 to donate 5. It only takes a

couple of seconds to make a BIG difference.
For more information visit stroke.org.uk/savelives
Texts cost your donation amount plus one message at your standard network charity rate.
The Stroke Association will receive 100% of your gift. Always ask the bill payers permission. For questions
about donating by text call 0330 6600 425.

Together we can conquer stroke

Stroke Association 2015

Version 1
Published: April 2015
Next review: April 2018.
Item code: A01F03CG
Stroke Association is a Company Limited by Guarantee, registered in England and Wales (No 61274).
Registered office: Stroke Association House, 240 City Road, London EC1V 2PR. Registered as a Charity in England and Wales (No 211015)
and in Scotland (SC037789). Also registered in Northern Ireland (XT33805) Isle of Man (No 945) and Jersey (NPO 369).