Speech Therapy Post-Concussion: Restoring Your Speech and Communication Skills
A concussion can turn your world upside down. One moment you’re fine, the next you may be struggling with headaches, dizziness, or confusion. One of the lesser-known effects of a concussion is how it can disrupt your ability to communicate.
What is a Concussion?
A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that is caused by a blow to the head, a bump, a fall, or a similar force. Concussions are very common injuries, with an estimated 1 to 3 million people visiting the emergency room with a concussion in the U.S. each year.
Concussion Symptoms
Concussions can cause a variety of physical, emotional, and cognitive impairments. For many people, the symptoms clear up within a few days to a few weeks. But for some, symptoms continue for months or even years. This is referred to as post-concussion syndrome.
Sometimes concussion symptoms start immediately, while others start hours or even days later. Below outlines some of the potential symptoms.
Concussion Symptoms
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Neck Pain
- Balance Difficulties
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Double or Blurred Vision
- Light Sensitivity
- Ringing in the Ears (Tinnitus)
- Sensitivity to Sound
- Confusion
- Brain Fog
- Difficulty Sleeping
- Sleeping More Than Usual
- Difficulty Concentrating
- Short-Term Memory Loss
- Irritability
- Depression or Sadness
- Mood Swings
- Nervousness/Anxiety
- Speech and Communication Difficulties
How Concussions Affect Speech and Communication
The ability to speak and communicate with ease depends on many brain systems working together successfully. This includes cognition (attention, memory, and processing speed), motor control (mouth, tongue, and vocal cords), auditory processing (distinguishing sounds and hearing), and emotional wellness (confidence, fatigue, and stress). A concussion can negatively impact many of those.
Here are some of the ways in which speech and communication may be affected:
Auditory Processing Issues
- Individuals may struggle with following and participating in conversations in noisy environments.
Increased Speech Errors
- People can experience more difficulties than usual with their speech, including pauses, revisions, and repetitions.
Difficulty with Word Finding and Fluency
- Although they may know what they want to say, retrieving the correct words may take longer. Speech may sound slurred or breathy.
Trouble with Language Comprehension (Understanding)
- Understanding spoken language, especially when fast or complex, can be harder. Processing delays, difficulty with memory (holding a sentence in mind), or following multiple speakers can also be affected.
Social, Emotional, and Fatigue-related Problems
- Communication isn’t just about words. Socializing, expressing emotions, and being confident may all suffer post-concussion. Fatigue after a concussion also makes communication harder. Some people report avoiding conversations, withdrawing, or feeling anxious when speaking.
The effects of a concussion on speech will vary person-to-person. However, it is helpful to distinguish between what might be expected immediately after a concussion (short-term), versus what might linger (long-term), especially in post-concussion syndrome. In some cases, the difficulties can get worse over time, not better.
Short-Term Effects of a Concussion on Speech
- Slurred speech (dysarthria).
- Increased articulation errors
- Difficulty following conversations in noisy environments
- Fatigue when speaking and needing to rest the voice
- Struggles remembering what they wanted to say or what someone else has said
Long-Term Effects of a Concussion on Speech
- Persistent speech disfluencies (frequent pauses and fillers)
- Word finding/naming difficulties remain
- Lingering problems following conversations, especially when under stress or multitasking
- Emotional or social withdrawal
- Lingering auditory processing struggles (slow processing speed and problems with comprehension)
Can Concussion Related Speech and Communication Difficulties Worsen Over Time?
Symptoms that last longer than the expected days or weeks may be diagnosed as Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS). Challenges like difficulty finding words, memory issues, and trouble with comprehension can worsen due to the brain using less efficient pathways to complete tasks. Returning to activities too quickly, especially physical exertion, can also worsen these symptoms.
The Role of Speech Therapy
Speech therapy plays a crucial role in helping people restore their communication skills after a concussion. Below is a breakdown of what to expect from speech therapy.
Assessment
Speech therapy sessions always start with a thorough assessment. The speech‑language pathologist (SLP) will assess various areas:
- Speech production: articulation, fluency (pauses, fillers, etc.)
- Language: understanding, expression, word finding, and sentence processing
- Auditory processing: the ability to hear and interpret speech in different settings
- Cognitive skills linked to communication (attention, memory, processing speed, executive function)
- Social communication: how you interact, manage conversation, etc
Early assessment is valuable because many speech or communication deficits are subtle at first and may go unrecognized.
Therapy Plan
Based on assessment, therapy may include:
- Exercises to improve auditory processing
- Fluency exercises (reducing disfluencies, pacing speech, strategies to reduce filler words)
- Word retrieval exercises
- Cognitive‑communication therapy (improving memory, attention, and organization of thoughts before speaking)
- Communication strategies (planning what to say, using pauses, reducing complexity, using visual cues)
- Managing fatigue and pace of speech (knowing when to rest)
- Role-playing real-life scenarios
At Great Speech, we specialize in Speech Therapy for Traumatic Brain Injury, including concussions. Schedule your free introductory call today to get started.