Strokes can be debilitating experiences that require extensive physical, occupational and speech therapy. According to the Patient Education Institute, rehabilitation exercises are meant to retrain the brain to direct speech, thought, movement, cognition and sensation. For most people, the left side of the brain controls speech, although about 25 percent of left-handed people use the right side of the brain for speech functions. Strokes occur when blood flow to the brain is interrupted.
Repetition
Listen to a partner repeat words over and over and then repeat the same words to retrain the brain and help develop memory skills. Do these repetitious exercises several times day to see quick recovery. Incorporate important names, words and phrases. Include directions and names of family and friends. Follow the speech partner when she points at a person or object as the word is spoken to allow the brain to assimilate the information. Repetition, coupled with physical references, is similar to teaching a young child to talk, and you are learning to speak all over again. Engaging in conversational coaching with a therapist who uses environmental cues repeated over and over will embed the names in the consciousness, reports the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Circumvention
You may suffer from aphasia following a stroke and cannot form the sounds to make words, even though you have complete understanding. To communicate, learn ways to circumvent the disability. Write words and phrases on boards or learn sign language to communicate better. Practice exercises that involve drawing, gestures and facial expressions to help move along the communication. The National Aphasia Association recommends that speech exercise partners communicate to the patients that they understand what the patient is trying to say. Patience and encouragement can provide patients with the right kind of environment necessary for the exercises to be effective.
Technology
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada reports that Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is proving successful in initial studies for treating speech disorders. Utilize an rTMS device that sends electrical impulses to the affected area of the brain and stimulates the brain tissue. Computer-based programs can help you continue with your speech therapy long after leaving the hospital and without the need of a partner or therapist. Programs can play words and sentences through speakers, and you can respond via microphones and recorders attached to the computer. You can hear your own voice repeated back and concentrate on the words you are trying to form. The immediate feedback can provide helpful motivation to continue with the exercises.
