It is possible for an individual to be the survivor of a stroke and experience no loss in speech, language and cognitive abilities. However, there is often some impairment in these skills and that impairment may range from very slight to very severe. Speech and language problem's following a stroke may be caused by:

APHASIA - The individual experiences difficulty in processing and/or using language. This affects one's ability to speak, understand speech, read and write.
DYSARTHRIA - Muscular control for speech is damaged. Speech tends to be slurred, imprecise, slow and lacking in intonation.
APRAXIA - Unlike with dysarthria, the muscles work properly. However, the "message" from the brain is impaired and prevents proper sequencing of muscle movements needed for production of speech sounds.

Cognition simply means "understanding" or "knowing". Cognition problems which are common following a stroke include impairments in attention, memory, thought organization, reasoning, problem solving and judgement.

At BAPTIST HEALTH Rehabilitation Institute our Speech-Language Pathologists have the specialized training and experience to differentiate the various types of speech, language and cognitive impairments and apply the proper treatment techniques to each individual.