How to communicate with someone who has aphasia

What aphasia is — and isn’t

Aphasia is a language disorder. It most often follows a stroke or brain injury, and it can affect speaking, understanding, reading and writing in different ways for different people.

The most important thing to remember: aphasia affects language, not intelligence. The person still has their thoughts, opinions, memories and personality. They just have trouble getting words in or out. Treating them as the capable adult they are is the foundation of every tip below.

Tips for talking

Set up the conversation

• Get their attention first. Say their name, make eye contact, and face them.
• Cut background noise. Turn off the TV or move somewhere quieter. Distractions make understanding much harder.
• One conversation at a time. Group conversations move fast. In a group, slow the pace and make room for them to join in.

Keep it clear

• Use short, simple sentences with one idea at a time.
• Slow down a little and pause between ideas — but keep a natural rhythm.
• Don’t raise your voice. Aphasia isn’t a hearing problem. Speaking louder doesn’t help and can feel patronizing.
• Use a normal adult tone. Avoid talking down or speaking as if they aren’t there.

Make it easier to answer

• Ask yes/no questions when you need a clear answer: “Do you want coffee?”
• Offer choices: “Coffee or tea?” — and show the options if you can.
• Add gestures, pictures and written key words. Pointing, showing a photo or writing one key word down can make your message much easier to understand.

Tips for listening

• Give time. Wait patiently while they search for words. Silence is okay.
• Accept every way of communicating. Gestures, pointing, drawing, writing and facial expressions all count.
• Ask before you help. Some people want you to suggest the word; others want to find it themselves. Ask what they prefer.
• Check that you understood. Repeat back what you think they meant: “So you want to call your sister?”
• Don’t pretend to understand. It’s better to say “I’m not getting it yet — let’s try another way” than to nod along.
• Focus on the message, not mistakes. Correcting every wrong word is discouraging. What matters is understanding each other.
• Take a break if it’s not working. Frustration is normal. Come back to it later.

Tools that help

• A communication notebook or board with photos and key words: family names, places, foods, feelings, and common needs like “tired,” “pain” or “bathroom.”
• A calendar and a map to point to when talking about times and places.
• A rating scale (1–10, or simple faces) for questions like “How’s your pain today?”
• Paper and a pen close by, for writing or drawing key words.
• Photos on a phone or tablet to show people, places and things you want to talk about.

A speech-language pathologist (SLP) can help you build these tools around the person’s strengths, and can coach the whole family on communication strategies.

Taking care of yourself

Supporting someone with aphasia is meaningful — and tiring. Caregivers need support too:

• Ask the SLP to include you in sessions or give you strategies to use at home.
• Find a support group. Aphasia and stroke support groups, in person or online, connect you with families who understand.
• Share the load. Let other family members and friends learn the same communication tips so it doesn’t all fall on you.
• Take breaks without guilt.

How Omilía can help

Omilía is an aphasia speech therapy app built for home practice. For families, it offers a daily plan you can sit down and do together, with progress you can actually see. You can make your own flash cards with the photos and words that matter most — family names, pets, favorite places — which double as a simple communication tool. And if your loved one works with a speech therapist, the therapist can assign homework and follow progress through Omilía Therapist.

Looking for practice ideas? See our guide to word-finding exercises for aphasia.

Frequently asked questions