Aphasia is the loss of language and communication skills, and it usually happens after someone has had a stroke

• Aphasia can affect people differently
• Aphasia for some people means they find it hard to understand what is said to them, and often show signs of anxiety or confusion
• Some people can understand most of what is said, if you speak steadily and there isn’t lots of background noise or activity
• Some people can understand as well as before their stroke, but find it difficult to think of the right words in their head and put those words together into sentences
• Most people show signs of getting back some of their language and communication skills in the months and weeks after the stroke
• Someone with Aphasia would be assessed by a speech and language therapist (SLT)
• The speech and language therapist will prescribe some exercises to practise restoring some of their lost skills or to help them use new skills to get their message across, such as gesture, drawing or writing