Communication

Communication is a fundamental human right and Speech for Life believes strongly that no one should be left without a means of communication. Ruth Hartman has worked with communication difficulties for over 20 years and supported individuals to communicate their way - in whatever manner suits the person and their needs.

Communication difficulties are 'hidden disabilities' as you cannot tell the person has them until they go to communicate. For this reason, they are less well known and understood by the community. Not many people could tell you what 'Aphasia' is, yet 140 000 people in Australia live with this condition.

What are communication difficulties?

Communication difficulties covers a wide variety of issues such as:

word finding difficulties
not being able to speak clearly e.g. slurry sounding speech (this is called dysarthria from the Greek dys 'difficulty' arthron 'articulation')
having a stutter
having a voice difficulty (this is called dysphonia from the Greek dys 'difficulty' and phone 'voice' or 'sound'
Aphasia (ay - fay - sia from the Greek a 'not' and 'phania' speak). Aphasia is difficulty with producing or understanding language either in spoken or written language, as well as comprehension of language (reading and listening)
being non-verbal
not having learnt to read and write
Social skills challenges - not knowing what to say or do in social situations, leading to social anxiety or feeling isolated. Please see the Support Groups page for more information on PEERS, a social skills course for young adults).

Why do communication difficulties occur?

Communication difficulties can be due to a developmental condition (such as Autism, Intellectual disability or Down's Syndrome) or acquired due to a head injury, stroke, brain tumour or a progressive neurological condition such as Parkinson's or different dementias.

What can I expect in an initial appointment for communication difficulties?

Speech for Life works with older teenagers and adults with communication difficulties. An initial appointment will include:

a thorough case history so that Ruth can understand your concerns and how they impact you
formalised assessment where needed e.g. a language assessment test
analysis of your communication through conversation, describing a picture, telling a story
discussion of the areas of difficulty noted and education provided so you can understand the issue fully
suggestions of treatment options

What does communication treatment include?

Ruth will tailor make a treatment programme based on your needs, goals and lifestyle. Treatment may include:

Conversation partner training. Conversation involves 50:50 participation of both people. When one person has a communication difficulty, the other person may need to modify how they communicate to enable and empower the partner to communicate to the best of their ability.
language or speech exercises relevant to your interests
voice therapy (see: Voice)
group therapy (see: Groups)

Useful resources

Speech Pathology Australia’s factsheet oncommunication difficulties – there are a range of fact sheets on different disorders and their impact communication.
https://communicationhub.com.au/CommunicationHub/Communication_Hub/Resources/Resources.aspx
Australian Aphasia Association - A charitable organisation that provides a lot of information on aphasia, They also run newsletters and conferences for people with aphasia.
https://aphasia.org.au/
The Aphasia Guide – a fantastic book explaining aphasia. It is a great resource both for the person with aphasia and to explain it to family and friends.
‍https://aphasia.org.au/what-we-offer/resources/
‍You can print out a card explaining you have aphasia from this website as well:
https://aphasia.org.au/get-a-free-printable-aphasia-id-card/

Support for every voice, every stage

Discover tailored speech therapy for adults and late teens. Our friendly team helps you build confidence and communication skills in a welcoming, supportive environment.