Speech Therapy: A Crucial Step in My Brain Injury Recovery
- jordanswellness
- May 29
- 8 min read
For me, speech therapy has played a crucial role in brain injury recovery, helping to improve memory, comprehension, and word recall. Through targeted exercises, it aids in rebuilding cognitive functions and communication skills that were impacted by the injury. It also helps teach me how to tell others about my struggles when they are often invisible or internal.
When I sustained my brain injury, I had no idea just how deeply it would affect my ability to communicate and process information. After the injury, I started noticing difficulties in simple tasks like finding the right words during conversations, remembering things, and processing what I read or heard. I was also NOT able to count backwards from 0-100 by 7s, as was asked of me in the later months after my injury by several specialists. This was incredibly frustrating, as communication has always been a key part of my daily life and work. And, numbers were something I studied in college. Fortunately, speech therapy became an essential part of my healing journey, helping me regain some of the cognitive functions that had been disrupted.
The Importance of Speech Therapy After a Brain Injury
Speech therapy is not just about improving your ability to speak clearly; it’s about helping the brain heal and reorganize itself after trauma. After a brain injury, cognitive functions like memory, comprehension, and verbal expression can be severely impacted. I found myself struggling to remember details, communicate effectively, and process new information. Tasks that seemed simple before—like reading a book, having a conversation, or recalling names—became monumental challenges. It felt like my head was being slammed against a wall every time I tried to think of something and my mind was blank.
This is where speech therapy comes in. Through targeted exercises, I was able to retrain my brain to improve these cognitive skills, allowing me to function better in my day-to-day life. I still work on these tasks weekly, but I have noticed that I am not only able to communicate more clearly, but I also rely on aids to help me function in moments when it is more difficult like the use of AI, or scripts that I keep and can use with only slight editing.
Memory Exercises: Rewiring the Brain
One of the first things my speech therapist introduced were memory exercises. These activities involved tasks designed to improve both my working memory and recall abilities. Simple exercises like recalling numbers or words after varying intervals of time helped strengthen my memory retention. It’s a bit like lifting weights for your brain, and though it felt tough at first, I slowly started noticing improvements. We started with recall immediately and then built up to one-hour, though I have yet to successfully regurgitate the same five words after one-hour as I would often forget two or three, or even make up some not realizing it.
Another variation we have explored with memory is the time of day. We have tried to see if my brain is better able to listen and remember in the morning, evening, or in-between and so far, we are still trying to understand if there is a pattern, but for now, any level of fatigue I start with does effect my memory recall.
These exercises didn’t just help with memory; they also gave me confidence. I could feel my brain rewiring itself, and I began to trust myself again when it came to remembering things. It was a small victory, but a crucial one on the path to recovery.
Comprehension Tasks: Improving Understanding
Another key component of my speech therapy was comprehension tasks. These exercises aimed to improve my ability to understand information—whether it was spoken or written. After my injury, I found it difficult to process what others were saying to me or to understand written instructions. This left me feeling lost in conversations and frustrated when trying to absorb new information.
Through speech therapy, I worked on strategies to better comprehend spoken and written language. Whether it was understanding complex sentences or breaking down information into manageable chunks, I felt my processing abilities slowly returning. It is not immediate, but with consistent effort, my ability to understand and retain information has improved dramatically and I look forward to it improving even more.
Immediately after my injury, I used to struggle with conversations, often staring blankly at someone, nodding along without truly following what they were saying. I’d get stuck on one thing they mentioned early on and then forget to stay engaged as the conversation continued. It was as if I was daydreaming, but I would be so focused on their face and their lips but could not understand what they were saying. The situation worsened with distractions like background noise, music, and other voices. Now, I’m able to follow along more easily and feel confident enough to speak up when I’m lost or ask for something to be repeated if it didn’t quite register. This even applies to watching movies. My husband will stop a show to check if I’m following along, and if I’m not, he’ll fill me in. We also use subtitles, which help me both hear and read the dialogue, reinforcing what I’m processing. I also have to rely on my notes to make sure that I understand what I heard and ensure that it makes sense to me or that I will remember it. Speech therapy has helped improve this area of my life, but I know that I have a lot more work to do.
Overcoming Word-Finding Issues
One of the most distressing symptoms I experienced post-injury was a difficulty in finding the right words during conversations. This "word-finding" issue made it hard to express myself clearly, and I often felt embarrassed when I couldn’t remember a word or phrase I was looking for. It created a barrier in my communication and left me feeling disconnected from others.
Speech therapy addressed this head-on. Through structured tasks and exercises designed to stimulate word recall, I began to re-engage the pathways in my brain that had been disrupted. The more I practiced, the easier it became to recall words quickly, and my fluency in communication gradually improved.
I was also taught how to communicate in the moment when I was struggling. Instead of getting stuck at a roadblock, I learned to describe the experience—like saying, "It feels like I’m hitting a wall trying to think of a word," or "I’m stuck in a dark room, unable to find the door." By describing the word I was trying to recall, I trained my brain to move past obstacles rather than freeze. This process also helped me think of alternative ways to reach my goal, allowing me to break through mental barriers more effectively.
Why Speech Therapy Is Crucial to My Recovery
Speech therapy plays a vital role in my recovery, not just for improving communication, but for strengthening my brain’s cognitive functions. The exercises target specific deficits caused by the brain injury, whether it is memory issues, comprehension struggles, or word-finding problems. These therapies are like a bridge, helping me connect back to the world of communication that I had once taken for granted.
As I continue my journey through speech therapy, I realize how integral it is to my overall healing process. It has helped me regain confidence in my ability to express myself, remember things, and engage with the world around me. It isn’t a quick fix, but with patience and perseverance, speech therapy is giving me the tools I need to rebuild my cognitive and communicative skills.
The Road Ahead: New Symptoms and Unexpected Challenges
As I continue navigating my recovery, a new, surprising symptom has emerged—spelling difficulties. This may seem odd, especially considering the left-sided injury I sustained, which primarily affects areas linked to language processing, motor skills, and sensory functions. Left-sided brain injuries are commonly associated with challenges in speech, writing, and movement, but I didn’t anticipate that spelling would become a struggle.
At first, it was subtle—misspelled words here and there, a few letters out of order, or an extra syllable where it shouldn’t be. But over time, these lapses have grown more frequent, and I find myself questioning simple words I’ve known for years. It’s like the connection between the thought, the spelling, and the hand just isn’t quite as automatic as it once was. This has been frustrating, especially since I rely on written communication more than ever now, both professionally and personally.
What’s truly perplexing is the lack of clarity as to why this symptom emerged despite the injury being on the left side of my brain, where motor skills and speech function tend to be more directly impacted. This doesn’t fit the usual pattern of brain injury symptoms, which makes it even harder to manage. However, it’s just another reminder that brain injuries are complex. The brain is intricately wired, and damage in one area can have ripple effects on multiple functions, even in ways that are unexpected.
This new development is another challenge to add to the already long list, but it has also given me an opportunity to approach recovery with even more patience and openness. Each day is a chance to rebuild and rewire these connections, no matter how unusual the symptoms may seem. Though it’s frustrating, this latest challenge only emphasizes the unpredictable nature of brain recovery and the ongoing work I have ahead.
I’ve found that ChatGPT has been incredibly helpful in these moments when my thoughts get jumbled, especially when I’m trying to put ideas into writing. It allows me to take my initial, messy thoughts and transform them into clearer, more coherent sentences. I also rely on Word or similar programs for spell-check, as it helps me catch mistakes I might overlook. These tools have become invaluable aids in my daily life, giving me the support I need as I work through these challenges.
While I still have moments where my cognitive abilities falter, speech therapy has given me the foundation I need to continue improving. As I move forward with my recovery, I now understand that the process is not linear, and progress takes time. However, the steady improvement I’ve seen in my communication, memory, and comprehension gives me hope for the future.
Speech therapy is a crucial part of brain injury recovery that shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s about more than just talking; it’s about rebuilding the connections in the brain that allow us to interact, process, and understand the world around us. If you’re dealing with the aftermath of a brain injury, I highly recommend considering speech therapy as a key component of your healing journey.
What’s Next?
Now, I’d love to hear from you. Have you or someone you know gone through something similar? How have you navigated the process of finding the right diagnosis and treatment? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Please know that I have created this space and have transformed my website from yoga and massage into a safe space to heal from brain injuries since I was impacted by one. I truly look forward to connecting with you.
Stay strong, and keep advocating for yourself.
All my light. All my love.
Namaste,
Jordan
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Disclaimer:The information shared in this post is based on my personal experience with speech therapy and brain injury recovery. While the strategies and techniques I discuss may be beneficial to some, they may not be suitable for everyone. Please consult with a licensed healthcare professional or therapist for personalized advice and treatment options tailored to your specific needs. This post is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice.
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