Social Communication

Communication is an essential and important part of our daily lives. We communicate in different ways, not just by talking e.g. through our eye contact, facial expressions and gestures.

All this help us convey our message and show we understand. It is the way we express our wants, feeling and needs.

Communication difficulties

Communication can be affected by a range of conditions, including stroke, head injuries, head and neck cancer, neurological conditions and dementia.

Communication difficulties include:

• Aphasia / dysphasia is a difficulty with understanding language, talking, reading and writing
• Dysarthria is a difficulty with the movement of muscles involved in speech which can result in slurred or imprecise speech sounds
• Dyspraxia is a difficulty with the coordination of muscles for speech making it hard to say words correctly or consistently.
• Dysphonia is a problem with the quality of the voice
• Dysfluency (stuttering/ stammering) a disruption of the flow of speech and a difficulty with getting words out

How can Speech and Language Therapy help?

Speech and Language Therapist will assess the individual’s communication abilities, and then may offer therapy where appropriate. We can work directly with the individual, developing a personalised therapy programme or indirectly working with carers to advise on how best they can support the person with communication difficulties.