Your mom’s doctor recommends that she works with a speech therapist following her stroke. What is a speech therapist going to do to help her? What should you do to help her prepare for her first session? Here’s what your mom should know about speech therapy.
Introductions
The first session with a speech therapist is all about getting to know each other. Your mom will meet her speech therapist and discuss her health. The speech therapist needs to get an idea of what her abilities are.
Your mom and her doctors will have given the speech therapist permission to view your mom’s medical files. Her therapist needs to know where the stroke occurred and what damage it caused. This helps the therapist develop a care plan going forward. That plan will change if your mom improves faster or slower than anticipated.
No-Stress Games
Often, a therapist will use a jigsaw or game to spend time together simply talking while having a distraction in the room. This helps your mom feel at ease, as she’s not the main focus. It eases stress and anxiety. As they work on the puzzle or play the game, they have conversations that allow the therapist to better understand your mom’s limitations and strengths.
There is No Right or Wrong
A speech therapist is not going to criticize your mom for getting something wrong. This isn’t about right or wrong, it’s about rebuilding skills that were there. Sometimes, it’s impossible to fully recover from a stroke, so your mom shouldn’t have set plans on how it will go. She needs to be prepared for stumbles along the way.
A Plan is Developed
By the end of the hour or however long the initial session is, your mom’s therapist will have established a care plan. This will determine how often they’ll meet, how long each session will last, and how long she will attend speech therapy.
You May Be Invited into the Conversation
At the end of the session, you may be invited in to learn how you can help your mom. There may be vocal exercises you can work on with her, tips for communicating with her, and other ways to support her as she rebuilds her speech skills.
When your mom has the full support and cooperation of her family, her speech therapy sessions will be more effective. The recovery following a stroke takes time, and your mom will experience frustration from time to time. Being there for her in beneficial ways is important, even if she’s trying to push you away.
Make a call to get more information. Use the notes you take to talk to your mom about what she should expect during her initial meeting with a speech therapist.
Once she is more comfortable with the things that will happen, she’ll be mentally prepared for her sessions. That helps her get the most from each speech therapy session and make necessary improvements in less time.
