Speech Therapy After Stroke

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Having a stroke can be life-altering, but Sheltering Arms Institute is here to help.

A stroke is a neurological event caused by either a blockage of blood flow (ischemic stroke) or a bleed in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). Depending on the areas of the brain that have been impacted, individuals may experience different impairments.

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are certified professionals who can help with a variety of post-stroke difficulties, including speech and language, swallowing, and cognition. It is important to know the different impairments caused by a stroke and how they can be treated.

Speech and Language Impairments

Aphasia

  • A loss or impairment of language skills
  • May affect expression and/or comprehension
  • May include difficulty reading and writing

Apraxia of Speech

  • A disorder of motor programming for speech
  • Difficulty positioning and sequencing muscle movement needed for speech
  • May coexist with aphasia

Dysarthria

  • Abnormal strength, speed, tone, and accuracy during speech production
  • Often caused by muscle weakness or paralysis
  • May affect breath support
  • May affect pitch, loudness, and vocal quality

Testing for speech and language impairments may include an examination of strength and movement of your mouth, lips, and tongue. Your SLP may also assess breath support, speech clarity, expressive and receptive language, and reading comprehension and writing.

Treatment for speech and language impairments may include training on communication strategies, rehabilitation of language skills, retraining of clear articulation, and reading and writing intervention.

In some cases, your SLP may recommend augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).

Swallowing Impairments

Dysphagia

  • Swallowing impairment
  • May affect control of food/drink in the mouth, timing of swallow reflex, and strength of swallowing muscles
  • May lead to decreased airway protection and risk of aspiration, which is where food or drink enters the airway and is not cleared

Testing for dysphagia may include a clinical swallow evaluation, a modified barium swallow study (MBSS), or a fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). 

Treatments for dysphagia may include diet modifications, education on safe swallow strategies, a swallow exercise program, or neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES).

Swallowing Impairments

Memory

  • Including short term, long term, and prospective memory
  • Remembering information immediately and after a delay
  • Remembering tasks in the future

Attention

  • Concentrating on tasks, switching attention between tasks, or multi-tasking

Executive Functioning

  • Planning, organization, problem solving, and deductive reasoning

Testing for impaired cognition may include a standardized assessment of immediate and delayed recall, attention, verbal reasoning, and executive functioning skills.

Treatment for impaired cognition may include compensatory strategy training, skill-specific practice and rehabilitation, and training of external aids to improve success.

Sheltering Arms Institute provides both inpatient and outpatient physical rehabilitation for individuals who have experienced a stroke. To learn more about our stroke recovery program, please visit https://shelteringarmsinstitute.com/conditions-and-services/stroke-rehabilitation/.

References:

  1. American Stroke Association (2023, April 14). About Stroke

    https://www.stroke.org/en/about-stroke

  2. ASHA: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (2023, April 14). Aphasia

    https://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/aphasia/

  3. ASHA: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (2023, April 14). Apraxia of Speech in Adults

    https://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/apraxia-of-speech-in-adults/

  4. ASHA: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (2023, April 14). Cognitive-Communication Referral Guidelines for Adults

    https://www.asha.org/slp/cognitive-referral/

  5. ASHA: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (2023, April 14). Dysarthria

    https://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/dysarthria/#about

  6. ASHA: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (2023, April 14). Swallowing Disorders in Adults

    https://www.asha.org/public/speech/swallowing/swallowing-disorders-in-adults/

  7. CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023, April 14). Stroke

    https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/

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