Traumatic Brain Injury & Concussions

Do you or someone you love struggle to communicate after suffering from a brain injury?

Regain the joy of communication with the help of speech pathologists.

Regain Your Speech Confidence

When someone experiences a TBI, their confidence takes a big hit. It takes friends and family members a long time to understand them, often leading to the person being closed-off or quiet, choosing to be silent around others.

Traumatic brain injury (or TBI) isn’t just a literal trauma to your brain. It also takes a toll on a person’s sense of self, especially when expressing themselves to others.

If you’d like support or want to give support to a loved one recovering from TBI, your speech therapist can help with…

recovering lost speech and language skills

making them easier to understand

improving memory and cognitive abilities

discovering alternative ways to communicate (AAC)

gain more confidence and improve social skills

With an initial evaluation, your speech-language therapist can determine the best practices and activities to help assist you and your loved one

Traumatic Brain Injury and Speech

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) occurs when a blow, bump, or shock to the head disrupts the normal operation of the brain. In some cases of TBI or concussions, chemical changes (such as lack of oxygen) also damage brain cells.

Common effects include memory loss, personality changes, problem solving issues, and communication problems. Basic activities become difficult with these new and sudden life changes.

Some head injuries are mild and with adequate care, symptoms may fade over time. Others are more serious and can lead to permanent disability that requires post-injury or lifelong rehabilitation.

Depending on the severity and nature of the brain injury, speech and language abilities may be affected. Speech-language pathologists can help give someone with TBI both a head start and steady speech recovery.

Can a mild concussion also cause speech problems?

Different parts of the brain are involved in our ability to speak. It is a complex process that can be affected by even the slightest injury on any of these parts.

So yes, even a minor concussion could limit your ability to communicate. You may exhibit slurred speech. You may struggle to find the words or pay attention in conversations. You may even exhibit excessive talking. This all depends on the affected area of the brain and severity of the damage.

The Effects of Concussions

A concussion is a type of TBI that affects normal brain function, usually temporarily. Symptoms of concussion can include headache, dizziness, memory loss, balance problems, and loss of consciousness for less than 30 minutes.

Some people may also experience post-concussion syndrome, where the symptoms of their concussion lasts for up to 3 months. A person who has had two or more previous concussions should also be evaluated by a doctor.

Certain speech therapy strategies are applicable depending on the severity of the injury and range of concussion symptoms. Speech therapists are often part of an interdisciplinary team that assess and treat the injury.

Their role is focused on treating speech impairments like stuttering and slurred speech through a range of activities including breathing exercises, relearning how to move the mouth, problem solving, use of body language, auditory and verbal rehearsals.

How long does it take to regain speech after a brain injury or concussion?

Generally, the brain will recover itself from traumatic brain injury after six months. Speech and cognitive skills will improve within a year following the injury.

Concussions on the other hand, have a much shorter recovery rate (10 to 14 days). However, post-concussion syndrome may occur that lasts up to 3 months.

With the help of a speech-language pathology and proper therapy, most people will learn to speak again after brain injury. Sports-related concussions need to be monitored closely with athletic trainers to make sure athletes don’t hastily return to sports activities without proper assessment from their physicians.

Our Services

How NK Speech Therapy Can Help

Our speech therapists will guide you through different stages of recovery and help you regain your communication skills.

Speech Therapy

Our aim is to help you or your loved one overcome speech disorders caused by brain injury and rediscover the joy of communication. Your speech therapist will also help you with your cognitive abilities and memory.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

Your speech-language pathologist will introduce alternative means of communication, which offer a more complete approach instead of relying on speech progress.