Geoff - had a slight speech impediment but physically he had recovered from his stroke and he was able to write, because of this he was always our scribe in group competitions.
Carl - like Geoff physically had recovered well, he was able to speak (a lot) but if you questioned him on certain things he sometimes struggled to answer and he couldn't read or write.
Jean - walked with the aid of a stick, she could read and write and could speak but had to speak very slowly and often got words wrong or couldn't find the word she wanted. But we helped her by waiting and encouraging her to find the words.
Linda - struggled with her walking and speech was difficult. But if you listened to her carefully you could usually understand what she was saying and if we didn't she was able to write it down.
David - walked with a limp and his right arm didn't work, he spoke slowly so he could be heard, on some occasions like Jean he would get stuck on certain words.
Bill - had slight problems with walking and with his right arm! but his main problem was his speech! he found this very difficult.
Robin - had problems with his right leg and no use in his right arm and he had speech problems, as the course progressed he seemed to get more confidence in the words he could use. He used to draw what he was trying to say, these drawings were brilliant.
Me - problem with right leg and no strength in right arm but gradually getting some movement, my speech is pretty good now and at the begining of the course I couldn't read or write.
This shows that with 8 people how a stroke can affect them all so differently and the lasting effects can take many forms. We all have Aphasia and this has affected how we communicate. However, we all agreed Aphasia affects our communication, it does not mean we are STUPID.
Working with the group of 8 was really beneficial as we all supported each other, for example we demonstrated the patience and time needed by people with aphasia to express themselves, we didn't rush people who were struggling to find words. In group competitions we used the skills within the group to best advantage. The tutors would not put you under pressure and helped you to find the answers within the group, this may mean we worked with each other to encourage someone who was struggling to find a word or express themselves.
You may have noticed that we are all affected on our right side by our strokes, this is because when the left side of the brain suffers a stroke, the right side of your body is affected. Also the left side of the brain is responsible for speech and communication.
The tutors who worked with us in the group sessions are remarkable and I can't thank them enough.
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