Aphasia-friendly communication basics (family + care teams)
A practical communication toolkit for supporting someone with aphasia: short phrases, one idea at a time, confirming understanding, and reducing shame/stress
Recovery & RehabCaregiver, ClinicianIntro15 minStandard (9–12)
Educational only
Educational only — follow speech-language pathologist recommendations for individualized strategies.
Get help now
If new sudden speech trouble starts or suddenly worsens, treat it as an emergency and call local emergency services.
What you'll learn
- Use aphasia-friendly strategies that improve understanding without talking down
- Confirm understanding using yes/no and teach-back
- Reduce communication breakdowns in high-stress situations (appointments, emergencies)
Principles
- Aphasia is a language problem, not intelligence
- Slow down and reduce information load
- Use multimodal communication
What to do
- Short sentences
- One question at a time
- Write key words
- Use gestures/pictures
- Allow pauses
How to confirm
- Yes/no confirmation
- Repeat-back
- Offer choices
When it’s urgent
- Use a scripted emergency phrase
- Bring a communication card
Practice check
Check your understanding
A few untimed questions. Pick an answer to see instant feedback, then continue to the next lesson.
0 of 2 answered
References
- American Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationAphasia (overview and communication tips)