Understanding aphasia — University project by Laurianne Lécluse, speech-language pathology student at Université de Montréal.
Aphasia is a communication disorder that remains far too little known, yet it may affect people we come across every day. In this video, Laurianne Lécluse explains that it is an impairment of the ability to communicate — speaking, understanding, reading or writing — occurring after a brain injury, usually a stroke or head trauma. It can affect anyone, man or woman, at any age.
Two misconceptions are dispelled right away: aphasia is not a hearing problem and does not affect intelligence. The person knows what they want to say, but cannot express it or grasp what is said to them — much like being in a country whose language you do not understand. Beware of false impressions too: the repeated phrases of automatic language (“hello”, “how are you”), identical answers or involuntary swearing can wrongly suggest that the person is confused, disoriented or even aggressive.
The video ends with simple reflexes to adopt: give the person time, speak slowly using simple words, ask short questions with clear answer choices, offer writing, drawing or pointing, and move somewhere quieter to talk. Knowing how to spot the signs of aphasia prevents misinterpretations with very real consequences — and these few simple actions can make all the difference.
Transcript
Translated from the original French video.
In this video, I am going to talk to you about aphasia, a communication disorder that is still far too little known, but which may affect people you come across every day. Aphasia is an impairment of the ability to communicate — that is, to speak, understand, read and/or write.
The difficulties experienced by people with aphasia vary. Some people can express themselves with words, while others are no longer able to. Aphasia is a disorder that occurs after an injury to the brain, usually caused by a stroke or a head trauma — a blow to the head. It can affect anyone, men and women of all ages.
It is important to know that aphasia is not caused by a hearing problem and does not affect intelligence. The person is generally aware of what is happening around them, but has difficulty expressing themselves or understanding what is said to them.
How does aphasia present itself? When a person with aphasia speaks, they may search for their words, make mistakes in the words they use or have difficulty building sentences. They may sometimes answer only yes or no, with gestures or in writing.
Watch out for false impressions. People with aphasia may say certain expressions or polite phrases repeatedly — also known as automatic language — such as “hello” or “how are you”, yet be unable to explain why they are there or to answer questions. They may repeat the same thing no matter what you ask, and they may even swear without it being voluntary or intentional.
As for comprehension, the person may have difficulty grasping what you are saying. They may sometimes pretend to understand to avoid feeling embarrassed. It is a bit like finding yourself in a country whose language you do not understand: you hear, but you do not really grasp the meaning. One may wrongly believe the person is confused, disoriented or even aggressive. In reality, the person knows what they want to say but cannot express it.
So what can you do in practice? Here are a few simple reflexes to adopt. Give the person time to express themselves. Speak slowly and use simple words. Ask short questions with clear answer choices. Offer the person the option of writing, drawing or pointing. And try to move somewhere quieter to talk more calmly.
Failing to recognize the signs of aphasia can lead to misinterpretations and inappropriate interventions, such as a forced removal or an unnecessary call to emergency services, which will only worsen the person’s distress. That is why it is essential to know how to spot these signs, to adopt a caring attitude and to apply a few simple actions. These actions can make all the difference.