What are communication disorders?

Communication disorders is an umbrella term covering a range of difficulties that affect how a person understands, produces or uses communication.

Communication disorders can arise from a wide range of causes, including acquired brain injury, stroke, neurological conditions and developmental factors, and can affect people of all ages.

Whatever the cause, these difficulties can have a significant impact on everyday life, relationships and independence, but with the right assessment and support, people can develop strategies to communicate as effectively as possible

Communication disorders include:

Language Disorders (Aphasia)

Difficulty understanding words and sentences (receptive language) or putting thoughts into words (expressive language).

After an acquired brain injury, many people experience eating, drinking, or swallowing difficulties (EDS) safely. EDS difficulties are sometimes referred to as dysphagia.

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Cognitive Communication Disorders

Changes in thinking skills such as attention, memory, reasoning or problem-solving that affect the ability to communicate effectively, even when speech and language skills themselves remain intact.

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Social Communication

Difficulty interpreting social cues, understanding perspective, managing conversations, or navigating relationships.

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Speech Disorders

Difficulty physically producing speech sounds clearly, or planning and coordinating the movements needed for speech, as seen in conditions such as Dysarthria and Apraxia of Speech.

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Voice Disorders

Changes to the pitch, volume or quality of the voice, often caused by difficulties with the vocal folds or the muscles and structures involved in voice production.

After an acquired brain injury, some people experience changes to their voice, known as a voice disorder. This can include a voice that sounds weak, strained, breathy, monotone, or effortful due to disrupted neural control of the muscles involved in voicing.

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If you would like to discuss a referral, request a quote, or explore how specialist ABI speech and language therapy can support you or your client, please get in touch.

    Communication & Swallowing Difficulties