How to Help at Home: Speech Therapy Activities for Aphasia

Lots of family, friends, and caregivers ask, "How can I help with speech therapy after a stroke?" or "What can I be doing at home to help my loved one with aphasia?" This video has some ideas for speech therapy tasks that can be done at home. It starts with the easiest level for people with global aphasia or very severe aphasia and increases the difficulty level in small steps for people with more mild or moderate aphasia. The very first tasks are non-linguistic, meaning there is no language involved. Then, talking, reading, and writing are incorporated in later steps.

To make the task more difficult, you can increase the number of objects on the table. You can also use objects that are used with a very specific hobby or activity of your loved one (ex: "bobbin" for someone who likes to sew, or "jig" for someone who likes to fish).

Materials:
Objects that are interesting/meaningful to the person with aphasia
Notecards
Pencil and paper OR dry erase board and marker

Activities:
Matching two of the same item
Repeating the name of the object
Matching the written word to the object
Copying the name of the object
Unscrambling letters to write the name of the object
Writing the name of the object

[MMViper]

Thank you for sharing. My Mother is recovering from a stroke and I need all the knowledge I can get to help her. Thank you for making this video.

[jenpechan]

Thank you.
This would have helped me in 2012. My loved ones didn’t know how to help. Luckily I had 4 kids (1.3.5, 7) that needed to learn also.
I still have problems with words when get flustered. Still working. Thanks for providing this to those who need it❤

[StrokeAssaulter]

As a Stroke Survivor who has Expressive Aphasia, this is an excellent resource.

[angelpatton]

Thank you.. going to label things around the house for my brother, hopefully he will start reading easier and more words ♥ 🙏

[Mostwanted-nrub]

Dude, you are doing a heavenly job. Thank you!

[oliviahung]

thank you for this video, can you also advice speech therapy activities for patients with limited mobility?

[annhanrahan]

This is very helpful to me, my friend has aphasia and talking with her is so difficult for her and frustrating ….I will try some of these exercises and I would appreciate any at home activities suggestions. Ann from Ottawa

[getitdonegirl]

Thank you! This is almost identical to the Montessori method for teaching language skills to young children. Two other elements in that method include 1) making sure that the “student” reaches across the midline of their body (ie reaching with their right hand to pick up an item and placing to the left side of the table or vice versa as they match items/cards) in order to encourage neurodevelopment between both sides of the brain (as explained in my Montessori training- I have no medical expertise and may not even be explaining/recalling that accurately)
2) a specific hand washing activity that involves lathering soap on each individual finger from palm to fingertip- both to teach young children good hygiene AND to stimulate/promote development of the prefrontal cortex. (Again, I don’t have medical training, this was part of my training for teaching preschool age children)
I don’t know if these reasons are supported in modern neuroscience because Dr. Montessori received her medical training over 100 years ago, but I’m curious if you have any insight?
I have a friend recovering from a stroke and I’ve been thinking of incorporating hand massage and activities like the ones you shared into our time together. Thank you so much for this video!

[Drsuzymoravick]

Love this video! Where did you get the plastic case for the banana grams? Thank you!

[speechandlanguagetherapist]

thanks for the work! What literature can you recommend that describes the method of working with a broken naming? I am writing with a translation, I am from Ukraine❤🇺🇦😊

[Pure.Freaking.Meredith]

Hi I got a concussion on the 8th of January clear MRI but am having speach issues. Could this still be aphasia with the clear MRI? If not... What else could mimic aphasia.
Waiting on a specialist but trying to help myself right now

[lossbit]

Hi bri, my father i believe got broca aphasia, he can only saying a same words on everything like "papapa or puut puut" and he had right side weakness and small tremors in his right hand. Please let me know if you have some guide to train him. Thanks

[mvbukkb]

Letterland works for children as well a
S adults

[EldanaYohannes-zs]

Helo madam i want your help my name meberatu iam 31 years old i live ethiopia AA i suffer by hemorrogic strok secendry moter apasia before 5 years ago so how adevised me this suffering

[kaseysuwenda]

Thank you for your thoughtful & fun idea!

[iAphasia]

Thank you for making this helpful video.

I am a Japanese person living with aphasia, and I am also learning English. I found your video to be very informative and practical, and I appreciate you sharing your expertise.

[kisachmarykapkarich]

Hi...thank you for sharing, how can i get the number grams kindly

[martinez]

Hello my sister just had a stroke. She talks ok but sometimes doesn't make sense. She's said she just bought a car it's outside she doesn't even drive. She thinks the nurses want to hurt her. What can I do to help her. Ty.

[whitedovenc]

I have a client with this disease. I can not understnad what she is saying and alot of times she gets really confused. How do I handle that?

[brettchapman-ogog]

Thank you so much for your help. This was an extremely helpful video